Magnitude 7.1 quake strikes east of New Caledonia

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck yesterday in the Pacific Ocean to the east of New Caledonia, the US Geological Survey said, a day after a major quake hit the same area.

The epicentre was 35 kilometres (22 miles) deep and located about 300 kilometres (190 miles) east of the New Caledonian archipelago, it said.