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Deep 7.6 Earthquake Strikes Near Tonga’s Neiafu

Officials say the quake’s depth makes a tsunami unlikely.

Overview

  • The USGS, which reported the event at 04:37 UTC Tuesday, located it 153 kilometers west of Neiafu at about 237 kilometers deep.
  • The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported no tsunami threat because deep quakes rarely displace enough seawater to generate one.
  • Tonga’s disaster office urged people in low-lying coastal areas to move inland or to higher ground and to avoid beaches until an all-clear.
  • Early checks found no injuries or damage, and the USGS issued a Green alert that signals a low risk of casualties and economic losses.
  • USGS estimates suggest about 21,000 people felt moderate shaking and 85,000 felt light shaking following a day-earlier M6.2 in this active stretch of the Pacific Ring of Fire.