A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck near the Pacific island nation of Tonga early Monday morning, prompting the government to issue a brief tsunami alert and advise residents to evacuate.
The quake jolted 73 km southeast of Pangai, which is in the Ha'apai group of islands in Tonga, at 01:18 local time on Monday, with a depth of 29 km, according to the latest data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The Tonga National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO) and the Tonga Meteorological Service then issued a tsunami warning for all coastal areas of the archipelago.
Videos from locals showed that many residents were driving overnight towards higher ground and inland areas for safety.
Qianqian, a resident in Nuku'alofa, shared her experience evacuating late at night in a video taken from her vehicle using a mobile phone.
"I live by the sea. The tremors were extremely strong. The cabinets kept shaking. The air raid sirens kept blaring for a long time. It is said to be a tsunami warning. We are now evacuating to higher ground at the government's request," she said.
Tonga's National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO) said no damage was reported for all areas after the quake.
Tonga is made up of 173 islands with a population of just over 100,000 people, most of whom live on the main island of Tongatapu, which is about 100 km away from the epicenter.
7.0-magnitude quake triggers brief tsunami alert in Tonga
7.0-magnitude quake triggers brief tsunami alert in Tonga
7.0-magnitude quake triggers brief tsunami alert in Tonga
7.0-magnitude quake triggers brief tsunami alert in Tonga
