Tsunami warning lifted after 7.1 earthquake hits close to Tonga within the South Pacific | EUROtoday

A robust 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit close to Tonga, prompting an preliminary tsunami warning that was later lifted for the Pacific island nation.

The U.S. Geological Survey mentioned the quake hit at a depth of 29 kilometers (18 miles) and was centered about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of the principle island within the early morning hours of Monday native time. Hours later, a second 6.1 magnitude quake hit in the identical space.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued an alert following the primary quake saying hazardous waves may very well be doable however later mentioned there was not a tsunami risk. A warning was additionally cancelled hours later by the nation’s catastrophe administration workplace.

Tsunami sirens may very well be heard after the 1:18 a.m. quake urging residents to maneuver inland in a stay video streamed by the Tonga Broadcasting Commission. People within the capital, Nuku’alofa, had been seen shifting inland or to increased floor earlier than officers gave the all-clear for residents to return residence.

There had been no preliminary stories of casualties, TBC mentioned, and Tongans posting on social media reported having the ability to place calls with many of the inhabited island chains that make up the nation. It was too quickly to know the extent of any injury, which might be assessed in daylight, the broadcaster added, however none was instantly reported.

Tongan taekwondo athlete Pita Taufatofua posted to Facebook that gadgets fell from cabinets and tables and photos fell from the partitions throughout the shaking.

“Was hard to stand up,” he wrote. “Never felt an earthquake go for that long.”

Tonga is a rustic in Polynesia made up of 171 islands with a inhabitants of simply over 100,000 folks, most of whom stay on the principle island of Tongatapu. It is 1,800 km (1,100 miles) north east of New Zealand and located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a tectonic area of earthquakes and volcanoes.

The low-lying island nation was devastated by a tsunami in 2022 that was prompted by a volcanic eruption. Three folks had been killed.