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4 Apr 2025 13:00
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  •   Home > News > International

    Magnitude-7.1 earthquake hits Tonga, tsunami threat cancelled

    The US Tsunami Warning Centre earlier warned waves were possible within 300 kilometres of the epicentre, which struck approximately 100 kilometres off the coast of Tonga.



    A magnitude-7 earthquake has hit near Tonga, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning for the Pacific island country.

    The US Tsunami Warning Centre later cancelled its tsunami advisory, saying the threat had passed.

    It said small fluctuations in wave height were detected at two buoys in the area.

    It had earlier warned tsunami waves were possible for coasts located within 300 kilometres of the earthquake epicentre.

    Geoscience Australia said the quake struck about 100 kilometres north-east of Tonga about 11:18pm on Sunday.

    The US Geological Survey said it hit at a depth of 10 kilometres.

    The earthquake's epicentre was closer to, and felt more strongly on, the island of Ha'apai than Tongatapu, where the capital Nuku'alofa is located.

    Pita Taufatofua, the governor of Ha'apai, said he had never felt an earthquake that strong.

    "Many things falling off table and shelves, photos falling off walls, whole house shaking. Was hard to stand up," he said.

    "Went for a very long time! Never felt an earthquake go for that long.

    "Thank God we don't have big high rises here in Tonga."

    He also offered good wishes for those affected by the earthquake in Myanmar.

    Nukualofa resident Salote Sisifa said she was anticipating a tsunami warning due to the strength of the quake.

    "Within two minutes of it happening, the siren went off and we felt we had to go," said Ms Sisifa, who is the CEO of Netball Tonga. 

    "It was just so good to see the public reacting the way they did."

    In a tsunami warning on social media, the Tonga Meteorological Service urged residents to either move to higher ground, further inland, or to the third floor of a reinforced concrete building.

    New Zealand's tsunami buoys off Tonga showed a brief 70cm increase in water height.

    The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no threat to the Australian mainland.

    Tonga is made up of 171 islands and is more than 3,500 kilometres off of Australia's east coast.

    © 2025 ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved

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