NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (AFP) — A shallow 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the Pacific island nation of Tonga on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage.
Despite the intensity of the quake, the Tonga Meteorological Service issued a brief statement saying there was no threat.
The quake, downgraded from an initially reported magnitude 6.7, struck at a depth of 35 kilometres about 210 kilometres (130 miles) northeast of the country’s capital, Nuku’alofa, where residents said it caused buildings to sway.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no danger of potentially hazardous waves in nearby coastal areas.
© Agence France-Presse
