An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale hit the eastern coast of the Tonga Islands in the South Pacific on Friday. According to the US earthquake monitor USGS, the center was located at a depth of nearly 25 kilometers and 211 kilometers east-southeast of the city of Neiafu.
The magnitude of the quake, recorded at 9:48 a.m. CET, was originally reported as 7.1, but the USGS was later corrected to 7.3. A tsunami warning was issued for the coasts within a radius of 300 kilometers, but it was lifted after about an hour and a half. A 5.1 magnitude earthquake was measured in the area for an hour.
The Tonga Weather Service advised residents to stay away from low-lying coastal areas. Seafarers should stay out at sea as a precaution.
Seismic activity is relatively common in the 170+ island archipelago. In January, Tonga was rocked by the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano, which was among the strongest in the past 2,000 years.
Source: Krone
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