7.5-magnitude earthquake strikes off coasts of Vanuatu, New Caledonia: USGS

A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck near New Caledonia on Wednesday, triggering a tsunami warning and emergency evacuations across a swathe of the South Pacific, but there were no reports of serious damage or injuries.

The quake struck at just after midnight on Thursday local time (1320 GMT) about 415 kilometres east of Vao in New Caledonia at a depth of 10 kilometres, according to USGS.

"Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within the next three hours," the NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

New Caledonia is a French territory comprising dozens of islands in the South Pacific.

(With inputs from agencies)