Magnitude-7.9 earthquake hits Tonga

Source: Xinhua | 03-20-2009 09:09

by Xinhua writer Huang Xingwei

WELLINGTON, March 20 (Xinhua) -- A major earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale struck the South Pacific island country of Tonga on Friday morning. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damages.

The quake, which occurred at 6:17 a.m. Tongan local time (1817 GMT Thursday), was centered some 210 km from the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa at a depth of 10 km, the New Zealand Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS) said.

A tsunami alert was issued after the earthquake, but has now been canceled.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued advisories for Tonga, Fiji, Nuie, Samoa, Wallis and Futuna and the Kermadec Islands.

The center said sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated but its waves were not much higher than normal sea levels.

An undersea volcano erupted off Tonga earlier this week, 10 km off the main island, Tongatapu.

GNS said the volcano was erupting in two areas and the eruption may last up to a week.