The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake occurred on Tuesday evening local time at a depth of about 148 miles (nearly 238 km). The epicenter was located at sea, approximately 95 miles west of the town of Neiafu.
The significant depth meant the tremors had minimal impact on the surface, and no major damage has been reported to date.
Tonga's National Emergency Management Office issued a warning, advising residents in low-lying areas to evacuate immediately to higher ground or further inland, and to stay away from coastlines and waterways until further notice.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii confirmed there is no tsunami threat because the earthquake occurred at a great depth.
Tonga is an archipelago of 171 islands with a population of over 100,000, most of whom reside on the main island of Tongatapu, an area frequently prone to coastal geological shifts. This latest quake occurred near the Vava’u island group.
A staff member at a coastal hotel in the capital, Nuku’alofa, said the entire building shook strongly, but no damage was recorded.
Tonga sits on the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” the world's most active zone for seismic and volcanic activity. In 2022, a massive volcanic eruption triggered a tsunami that killed three people, one of several extreme natural events recorded in the region.
