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WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the Kermadec Islands north of New Zealand on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said.
The epicentre of the undersea quake, which struck at 4.22 pm Singapore time (0822 GMT), was located about 70 kilometres northeast of Raoul Island, the main island in the New Zealand territory, at a depth of 28 kilometres.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre did not issue a tsunami alert.
Raoul Island is a volcanic island about 1,000 kilometres northeast of Auckland and roughly the same distance southwest of the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa.
Earthquakes and volcanic activity are common in the area, which is part of the 'Ring of Fire' where the Pacific plate of the earth's crust meets other continental plates.
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