A powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck near Tonga early Monday morning, causing minor damage and prompting brief evacuations before the tsunami threat passed.
The quake, which hit at 1:18 a.m., triggered tsunami sirens, urging residents to move to higher ground. Live footage showed people in the capital, Nuku’alofa, relocating inland as a precaution. Officials later gave the all-clear, allowing residents to return home safely.
Social media posts from Tongans revealed widespread effects, with many reporting items falling from shelves and pictures tumbling from walls. Taekwondo athlete Pita Taufatofua shared his experience on Facebook, describing the difficulty of standing during the prolonged shaking.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake occurred at a depth of 29 kilometers (18 miles), centered roughly 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of the main island. A second tremor, measuring 6.1 in magnitude, struck the same region hours later.
After the initial earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a notice indicating the potential for hazardous waves. However, the threat was later deemed over as only minor changes in sea levels were observed. Hours later, Tonga’s disaster management office officially lifted the warning.
Mafua Maka, director of Tonga’s disaster management agency, reported that there were no known casualties or structural damage. Authorities planned to conduct further assessments once daylight returned, according to local news sources.
Tonga, a Polynesian nation consisting of 171 islands with a population of just over 100,000, is mostly populated on the main island of Tongatapu. Located 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) northeast of New Zealand, it lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.
In 2022, a tsunami triggered by a volcanic eruption claimed three lives in the country.