Tonga, an island nation in the Pacific, experienced a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in the early hours of Thursday, but there were no reports of casualties or property damage.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 210 km, about 100 km (60 miles) off the isolated volcano island of Niuatoputapu in Tonga, according to the US Geological Survey. It occurred at 1602 GMT.
There was no tsunami risk, it stated.
Near the capital Nuku’alofa, Gary Vite, the head meteorologist for Tonga Meteorological Services, said, “We received calls early in the morning from people who felt it, but there have been no reports of damage.”
The tremor was also felt in Apia, the capital of Samoa, which is located about 360 kilometers from the epicenter.
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