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Two HUGE earthquakes STRIKE New Caledonia – tremors RICOCHET across Ring of Fire

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TWO MASSIVE earthquakes have struck the French island of New Caledonia sending aftershocks ricocheting through the volatile Ring of Fire region.

A huge magnitude 6.8 quake rocked the region early on Tuesday morning.

The earthquake followed an earlier quake that was given a preliminary 6.5 magnitude on the Richter scale.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has reported the first quake has no potential to cause damage.

It was reviewed after it was initially registered as a 6.5 and then downgraded to a 6.3 on the Richter scale.

It struck at a depth of 10km at 00.28 (UTC) 23.28 (BST) on Monday.

There is no immediate tsunami threat, the National Weather Service said.

There is also no tsunami watch or warning.

The quake’s epicentre was 120 miles to the south-east of the Loyalty Islands.

New Caledonia Earthquake

Two HUGE earthquakes have struck the New Caledonia islands (Image: USGS)

New Caledonia earthquake

A map shows the impact and radius of the first earthquake (Image: USGS)

The Loyalty Islands are a tourists hotspot and a favourite for scuba divers.

They are known for their stunning natural beauty and crystal clear waters – perfect conditions for diving.

The Islands are located within the volatile Ring of Fire region.

The Ring of Fire is home to 452 volcanoes, more than 75 percent of the world’s active volcanoes and witnesses around 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes.

New Caledonia earthquake

A map shows where the second earthquake struck (Image: USGS)

The second quake to hit the region measured 6.4 on the Richter scale after it was downgraded from 6.8.

There was also no tsunami warning, threat or watch issued, the National Weather Centre said.

It struck at a depth of 10km at 1.34am (UTC), 162km south-east of Tadine, about half-an-hour before the first quake hit.

There have been no reports of damage or casualties from either of the earthquakes.