Despite the violence of the tremor, no damage was reported, reports the Tonga Meteorological Service.
A 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit Tonga in the South Pacific on Thursday morning, but no injuries or damage were reported.
The earthquake occurred at 5:02 a.m. local time (6:02 p.m. Wednesday Paris time) some 100 kilometers from the isolated volcanic island of Niuatoputapu (north) and at a depth of 210 kilometers, according to the United States Institute of Geological Studies. . The tremor did not cause a tsunami risk, the organization said.
“We had calls early in the morning from people who had felt (the quake) but no damage was reported,” said Gary Vite of the Tonga Meteorological Service.
Pacific “Ring of Fire”
The quake was also felt some 360 km from the epicenter in Samoa’s capital, Apia.
A spokesperson for the Samoa Meteorological Service said “strong vibrations” rocked the organization’s building near Apia but no damage was reported.
Tonga and Samoa are located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an area where tectonic plates meet, resulting in frequent seismic activity.
