7.6 Magnitude Quake Hits Tonga; No Tsunami Alert Issued

Wellington (Tonga): A 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Pacific island nation of Tonga in the early hours of Thursday.
The quake struck at 1602 GMT about 100 kilometres off Tonga’s remote volcanic island of Niuatoputapu at a depth of 210 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said.

No casualties or damages were reported yet. No tsunami alert is also issued yet.

“We had called early in the morning from people who felt it, but there have been no reports of damage,” said Gary Vite, chief meteorologist at Tonga Meteorological Services near the capital Nuku’alofa.

The quake was also felt some 360 kilometres from the epicentre in the Samoan capital Apia.