WELLINGTON — A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck under the sea some 55 kilometers (34 miles) from the capital of Tonga Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, but no tsunami warning was issued.
The quake hit northwest of the South Pacific archipelago’s capital Nuku’Alofa at a depth of 81 kilometers (50 miles), some 290 kilometers (180 miles) from its second largest town of Neiafu.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the quake at 06.57am local time on Sunday (1757 GMT Saturday).
Tonga, almost 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) northeast of New Zealand, lies on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where continental plates collide causing frequent volcanic and seismic activity.
