- An earthquake hit Tonga on Tuesday
A deep 7.6 magnitude earthquake has hit one of Australia’s closest neighbours.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center advised no tsunami was expected after the earthquake struck the Tonga islands on Tuesday.
‘There is no tsunami threat because the earthquake is located too deep inside the earth,’ PTWC said.
The earthquake hit at a depth of nearly 238km and its epicentre was more than 150km from Neiafu in Tonga, the island nation’s second-largest town.
Seismic activity from the event ranked 7.6 on the Richter Scale, meaning it was classified as a ‘major’ earthquake with the strength to cause severe damage to infrastructure.
Despite no warning being issued by the PTWC, Tonga’s National Emergency Operation Centre issued a tsunami alert.
A Radio New Zealand correspondent in Tongo reported ‘people in the capital heard sirens and were told to relocate away from the coast’.
More to come…
