Magnitude 7 Earthquake Strikes Tonga, Prompting Tsunami Alerts
Tsunami warnings issued as tremors felt across the Pacific island nation.
On Sunday, the Pacific island nation of Tonga experienced a significant earthquake, measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale, which triggered tsunami alerts and prompted evacuation efforts.
The earthquake struck early Monday morning local time, approximately 90 kilometers southeast of Pangai, the main settlement of the Ha'apai island group, which has a population nearing 1,000 residents.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System indicated potential risks of dangerous waves near the quake's epicenter, leading to precautionary alerts for areas within 300 kilometers of the origin of the tremors.
Initial reports from geological monitoring agencies indicate no immediate damage associated with the quake.
The tremors were notably felt in Nuku'alofa, Tonga's capital located on the northern coast of Tongatapu, which sits only a few centimeters above sea level.
Tonga is an archipelago consisting of 171 islands with a total population of around 100,000 inhabitants, positioned over 3,500 kilometers from the east coast of Australia.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu, associated with NOAA, initially warned that tsunami waves reaching heights between 30 and 90 centimeters could impact the coastlines of Niue and Tonga.
Smaller tsunami waves of less than 30 centimeters were anticipated for the coasts of nearby territories including American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Kermadec Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Tokelau, Tuvalu, and Wallis and Futuna.
However, it was confirmed that no tsunami threat existed for Hawaii, Alaska, or the U.S. West Coast, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The earthquake was reported to have occurred at a depth of approximately ten kilometers.
As of now, there are no reported damages or casualties related to the event.
Eyewitness accounts and videos shared on social media platforms depict residents evacuating to higher ground or moving inland in response to the tsunami warnings.
The Australian Joint Tsunami Warning Centre has confirmed that there is currently no risk to the Australian mainland.
The earthquake struck early Monday morning local time, approximately 90 kilometers southeast of Pangai, the main settlement of the Ha'apai island group, which has a population nearing 1,000 residents.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System indicated potential risks of dangerous waves near the quake's epicenter, leading to precautionary alerts for areas within 300 kilometers of the origin of the tremors.
Initial reports from geological monitoring agencies indicate no immediate damage associated with the quake.
The tremors were notably felt in Nuku'alofa, Tonga's capital located on the northern coast of Tongatapu, which sits only a few centimeters above sea level.
Tonga is an archipelago consisting of 171 islands with a total population of around 100,000 inhabitants, positioned over 3,500 kilometers from the east coast of Australia.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu, associated with NOAA, initially warned that tsunami waves reaching heights between 30 and 90 centimeters could impact the coastlines of Niue and Tonga.
Smaller tsunami waves of less than 30 centimeters were anticipated for the coasts of nearby territories including American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Kermadec Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Tokelau, Tuvalu, and Wallis and Futuna.
However, it was confirmed that no tsunami threat existed for Hawaii, Alaska, or the U.S. West Coast, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The earthquake was reported to have occurred at a depth of approximately ten kilometers.
As of now, there are no reported damages or casualties related to the event.
Eyewitness accounts and videos shared on social media platforms depict residents evacuating to higher ground or moving inland in response to the tsunami warnings.
The Australian Joint Tsunami Warning Centre has confirmed that there is currently no risk to the Australian mainland.
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