Series of quakes strike off South Pacific islands: USGS

Sydney: A strong 6.7 magnitude earthquake   struck off the South Pacific islands of Wallis and Futuna in   the early hours, following another powerful earthquake  off Tonga.  The latest quake hit at 5:15 am local time and occurred 205 kilometres southeast of the Wallis and Futuna capital of   Mata-Utu, the US Geological Survey said.   It came less than two hours after a 6.4-magnitude quake   struck off Tonga.   Neither generated tsunami alerts and there were no immediate reports of damage. 

The undersea quake off Tonga hit at 3:52 am and was 197 kilometres northwest of the town of Hihifo, USGS said.   The epicentre was also at a depth of 10 kilometres. That tremor was followed less than three hours later by a   5.6-magnitude quake a few kilometres further west.  

The region lies in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an   area of frequent seismic activity due to collisions between continental plates.