Washington, September 27 (QNA) - A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Sunday the island of New Caledonia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers.

New Caledonia is in the Pacific Ocean on the Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates meet and their friction with each other leads to intense seismic and volcanic activity. (QNA)