A strong 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit near Tonga, prompting an initial tsunami warning that was later lifted for the Pacific island country.
The US Geological Survey said the quake hit about 62 miles north-east of the main island in the early morning hours of Monday local time.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii issued an alert saying hazardous waves could be possible, but later said there was no longer a tsunami threat.
Tsunami sirens could be heard after the 1.18am quake urging residents to move inland, according to the Talanoa o Tonga news site. There were no initial reports of damage.
Residents in the Ha’apai island group had calmly moved to higher ground, the report said.
A map of Tonga:
Tonga is a country in Polynesia made up of 171 islands with a population of a little more than 100,000 people, most of whom live on the main island of Tongatapu.
It is more than 3,500 kilometers (2,000 miles) off of Australia’s east coast.
Sunday’s earthquake follows the 7.7 magnitude quake that struck central Myanmar on Friday and also sent powerful jolts into neighbouring China and Thailand.
A volunteer drives an excavator to help rescue operations near Maharmyatmuni pagoda after an earthquake in Mandalay, central Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025 (AP)
At least 1,700 people have been confirmed dead in Myanmar alone, 3,400 were injured and over 300 remained missing, the military-run government said on Sunday, as they continued to assess the full extent of the disaster.
The earthquake was the biggest to hit Myanmar since 1912, according to the United States Geological Survey, and has devastated civilian infrastructure including the main highway running up the spine of the country.
Many of the worst-hit areas have still not been reached by official agencies, with most rescue efforts being conducted by local residents removing rubble by hand.
The earthquake on Friday forced the junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing to issue a rare appeal for international aid and the military has allowed foreign governments to send their own aid workers into the country for the first time since the 2021 coup.
