Powerful quake near remote South Pacific isles

WASHINGTON - A powerful magnitude 7.3 quake hit off New Zealand's remote Kermadec Islands, the U.S. Geological Survey reported on Monday.

There was no immediate tsunami warning in the area.

The quake struck at 3:19 a.m. on Tuesday (11:19 a.m. ET on Monday) at a depth of 21.7 miles.

The islands are about 500 miles northeast of northern New Zealand. They are uninhabited except for a weather station there.

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