Authorities have confirmed there is no tsunami threat after a powerful deep sea earthquake struck near the Pacific island nation of Tonga on Tuesday.
Officials from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there “is no tsunami threat because the earthquake is located too deep inside the earth,” easing early fears after warnings were briefly issued across coastal areas.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the 7.6 magnitude quake struck at a depth of nearly 238 km (148 miles), with its epicentre located about 150 km from the town of Neiafu.
The Tonga National Disaster Risk Management Office initially issued a tsunami warning, urging residents in low lying coastal areas to move inland or to higher ground. Sirens were heard in the capital, Nukuʻalofa, prompting panic as people gathered on rooftops seeking safety.
Footage from the Tonga Broadcasting Commission showed residents watching and waiting anxiously as emergency alerts sounded across the city.
However, the warning was later lifted after assessments confirmed the deep earthquake posed no tsunami risk.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, though authorities continue to monitor the situation.
Tonga sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” one of the world’s most seismically active zones, where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common.
Goodness Anunobi
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