MANILA, Philippines -- A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck off Loyalty Islands in the Pacific at 0558 GMT (1:58 p.m. in Manila), the US Geological Survey said Saturday.

The undersea quake was centered about 160 kilometers (100 miles) north-northeast of Tadine, in the French territory of New Caledonia. It hit at a depth of 35 kilometers.

New Caledonia lies along Pacific Basin's "Ring of Fire," where continental plates meet and cause frequent seismic and volcanic activity.