Strong 6.2 magnitude quake strikes near New Caledonia

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 struck east of the Loyalty Islands near New Caledonia in the South Pacific on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake hit at a depth of 26 km (16 miles) about 189 km (117 miles) east-southeast of Tadine in the Loyalty Islands, the USGS said. There were no immediate warnings from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

It follows a powerful 7.6 quake that hit near New Caledonia on Wednesday.