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Oct 11, 2009
Quakes hit Pacific islands
Two moderate quakes rattled the Pacific islands again. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
NOUMEA - A MODERATE 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck off New Caledonia on Sunday, followed by a 5.6 quake in waters off neighbouring Vanuatu, seismologists said.
The first quake was centred about 380 kilometres east of Noumea, capital of New Caledonia, at 2.12 pm (0312 GMT, 11.12am Singapore time) at a depth of 35 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said.
'It is too small and too far away from any population centres to cause any damage or tsunamis,' Phil Cummins, seismologist with Geoscience Australia, told AFP.
The quake was followed just over 90 minutes later (0447 GMT, 12.47pm Singapore time) by a 5.6-magnitude earthquake 295 kilometres from Luganville in Vanuatu at a depth of just 10 kilometres.
The Asia-Pacific region has been rocked by a series of violent earthquakes in recent days, including a magnitude 8.0 undersea quake off the islands of Samoa late last month that triggered a deadly tsunami.
New Caledonia evacuated schools and ordered people away from the coast on October 8 after a major 7.8 earthquake prompted a tsunami warning across much of the South Pacific. -- AFP
Quakes hit Pacific islands
Two moderate quakes rattled the Pacific islands again. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
NOUMEA - A MODERATE 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck off New Caledonia on Sunday, followed by a 5.6 quake in waters off neighbouring Vanuatu, seismologists said.
The first quake was centred about 380 kilometres east of Noumea, capital of New Caledonia, at 2.12 pm (0312 GMT, 11.12am Singapore time) at a depth of 35 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said.
'It is too small and too far away from any population centres to cause any damage or tsunamis,' Phil Cummins, seismologist with Geoscience Australia, told AFP.
The quake was followed just over 90 minutes later (0447 GMT, 12.47pm Singapore time) by a 5.6-magnitude earthquake 295 kilometres from Luganville in Vanuatu at a depth of just 10 kilometres.
The Asia-Pacific region has been rocked by a series of violent earthquakes in recent days, including a magnitude 8.0 undersea quake off the islands of Samoa late last month that triggered a deadly tsunami.
New Caledonia evacuated schools and ordered people away from the coast on October 8 after a major 7.8 earthquake prompted a tsunami warning across much of the South Pacific. -- AFP
