7.0 and 6.1 Magnitude Quakes Hit Tonga Islands - Tsunami Warnings Lifted

Earthquake of magnitude 7 strikes Tonga islands

A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Tonga on Sunday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said.

The quake was at a depth of 16 km (10 miles), GFZ said.

Second earthquake in 24 hours jolts Tonga Islands

Tonga Islands, March 30 (ANI): An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 on Richter Scale jolted Tonga Islands on Sunday, with this being a second earthquake in the same day.The earthquake took place at a shallow depth of 10 km, making it susceptible to aftershocks.

Earlier in the day, an earthquake of 7.0 on the Richter Scale jolted Tonga Islands, a statement by the National Center for Seismology said.

Shallow earthquakes like these are more dangerous than deeper ones due to their greater energy release closer to the Earth’s surface, causing stronger ground shaking and increased damage to structures and casualties, compared to deeper earthquakes, which lose energy as they travel to the surface

Tsunami warning lifted after 7.0 earthquake near Tonga in the South Pacific

 A strong 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit near Tonga, prompting an initial tsunami warning that was later lifted for the Pacific island country. 

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit at a depth of 29 kilometers (18 miles) and was centered about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of the main island in the early morning hours of Monday local time. Hours later, a second 6.1 magnitude quake hit in the same area. 

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued an alert following the first quake saying hazardous waves could be possible but later said there was no longer a tsunami threat. A warning was also cancelled hours later by the country’s disaster management office.

There were no reports of casualties and or structural damage, said Mafua Maka, the agency’s director, speaking to Radio New Zealand a few hours after the quake. Further assessment would be made in daylight, local news outlets said.

Tsunami sirens could be heard after the 1:18 a.m. quake urging residents to move inland in a live video streamed by the Tonga Broadcasting Commission. People in the capital, Nuku’alofa, were seen moving inland or to higher ground before officials gave the all-clear for residents to return home.