<div><p>A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 hit off the Pacific island nation of Fiji late Monday but it was too deep to generate a destructive tsunami, US geologists said.</p><p>The quake struck at 10:44 pm (1044 GMT) at a depth of 585 kilometres (366 miles) with its epicentre 102 kilometres north of the capital Suva, the US Geological Survey said.</p><p>The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii said the quake was too deep to trigger a destructive tsunami and no warnings were issued.</p><p>Fiji sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where continental plates meet, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.</p><p>A South Pacific tsunami generated by an 8.0-magnitude earthquake in late September killed at least 155 people in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=63004448&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

Copyright 2009  <a href="http://www.afp.com/english/links/?pid=copyright">AFP Asian Edition</a></div></div>