A major earthquake has hit in the south Pacific, about 140km northeast of Fiji’s Ndoi Island.

The US Geological Survey says the 7.1-magnitude quake, which hit at 6:57 am local time (05:57 AEDT on Sunday), registered at a depth of 434km.

No tsunami warning was issued, according to the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre.

Fiji is located in the so-called Ring of Fire area of the Pacific Ocean basin, where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

Last month, a 7.2-magnitude quake struck some 570km south of Easter Island.

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