M6.0 earthquake - 197 km SW of Nadi, Fiji

What happened

A magnitude 6 earthquake struck 197 km SW of Nadi, Fiji on 21 May 1997, 16:26 UTC at a depth of 33 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Strong. Can cause damage in populated areas up to tens of kilometres away. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Sigatoka, about 185 km away in Western, Fiji.