A strong and shallow earthquake registred by the USGS as M6.0 hit southeast of Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia at 16:34 UTC on December 28, 2022. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
The epicenter was located about 508 km (315 miles) SE of Port-Vila and 293 km (182 miles) ESE of Isangel, Vanuatu.
There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unknown/miscellaneous types and wood construction.