A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck offshore near the Tonga islands in the Pacific, the US Geological Survey (USGS) announced on Sunday, warning of potential tsunami waves.
The earthquake, which occurred deep in the Earth’s crust, was centred 90 kilometres southeast of Pangai village, prompting alerts for both Tonga and the island of Niue.
“Tsunami waves reaching 0.3 to 1 metre above sea level are possible along some coasts of Niue and Tonga,” said the US Tsunami Warning System, referring to these two South Pacific island nations.
The agency had earlier cautioned that “dangerous tsunami waves caused by this earthquake are possible within 300 kilometres of the epicentre along the Tonga coasts.”
Tonga’s National Disaster Management Agency has advised residents to steer clear of beaches and shorelines. “People living in low-lying coastal areas are urged to move to higher ground or inland,” the agency posted on Facebook.
Earthquakes are common in Tonga, an archipelago with approximately 100,000 inhabitants, located on the seismically active Ring of Fire.
The Ring of Fire is a zone of intense tectonic activity that spans Southeast Asia and the Pacific Basin.
