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* Tsunami waves hit alert New Caledonia and Vanuatu after big quake hits Pacific

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* Deep 6.8 magnitude earthquake strikes cyclone-affected Vanuatu

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The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says it does not expect a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami and there is no threat to Hawaii. The quake struck at a shallow depth of 10km, around 372km east of the New Caledonian capital, Noumea, according to the US Geological Survey. The region is located within 250 km of the New Caledonia earthquake has resulted in at least 20 other magnitude 7 and above earthquakes over the last century. "We felt it and they felt it more strongly on the Loyalty Islands ... there was some movement of the sea but no damage to buildings, no injuries to people and it's over now," Ciry said.
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake hits the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia.