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Quake hits Loyalty islands in the French Pacific
NOUMEA (AFP) Dec 26, 2003
 An earthquake measuring six degrees on the Richter scale was reported to have hit the French Pacific territory of Loyalty Islands early Friday but officials said there was no panic and that no tidal wave alert was issued.

The quake 350 kilometres (about 220 miles) east-south-east of Mare island was recorded by the earth sciences observatory in Strasbourg, France.

A police spokesman at Lifou, one of the islands in the Loyalty archipelago, said, "We did not feel anything major and nobody has contacted us about it."

The high commissioner's office said no tsunami alert has been issued.

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