A STRONG and shallow magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands in the South Pacific at 2.45pm UTC on Monday.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres, while the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported the same magnitude and depth.
The epicentre was located about 400 kilometres east-southeast of Tadine in New Caledonia and approximately 429 kilometres south-southeast of Isangel in Vanuatu.
Authorities confirmed that the earthquake posed no tsunami threat.
The USGS issued a Green alert for both shaking-related fatalities and economic losses, indicating a low likelihood of casualties and significant damage.
Although many residents in the region live in buildings that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking, particularly informal structures constructed from timber, galvanised iron and metal, the agency said some earthquake-resistant buildings are also present.
No estimates of economic losses or gross domestic product impact were immediately available.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, fatalities or significant structural damage following the earthquake. - July 14, 2026
