Strong quake hits deep underneath the South Pacific Ocean

Strong quake hits deep underneath the South Pacific Ocean

2010-12-28 17:07:30 GMT+7 (ICT)

NDOI ISLAND, FIJI (BNO NEWS) -- A strong earthquake struck deep underneath the South Pacific Ocean on early Tuesday evening, seismologists said, but no damage or casualties were reported.

The 6.3-magnitude earthquake at 8.34 p.m. local time (0834 GMT) was centered approximately 320 kilometers (200 miles) south-southwest of Ndoi Island in Fiji, or 535 kilometers (330 miles) west-southwest of Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga. It struck about 551.6 kilometers (342.8 miles) deep, making it a deep earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The earthquake was located too deep and too far to have been felt by anyone, and therefore damage or casualties were not expected. It was also not strong enough to generate a tsunami.

The region is frequently struck by large earthquake. On early Sunday morning, a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck 145 kilometers (90 miles) west of Isangel, a city on the Vanuatu island of Tanna. It struck about 12.3 kilometers (7.6 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake.

Thousands of people were able to feel the earthquake on Vanuatu, but there were no reports of serious damage or casualties. A small tsunami was also generated, but caused no damage.

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