7.6 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Australia – Tsunami Alert Issued for Tonga

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck near Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, triggering a tsunami alert from Tonga’s National Emergency Operation Centre despite assurances from international monitoring agencies that no widespread tsunami threat existed.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the earthquake occurred at a depth of approximately 237 kilometers (148 miles), positioning its epicenter 153 kilometers (95 miles) west of Neiafu, Tonga’s second-largest town. The quake struck early Tuesday evening local time, according to the USGS.

Although the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Hawaii stated “there is no tsunami threat because the earthquake is located too deep inside the earth,” Tonga’s emergency officials advised residents of the low-lying island nation to immediately move to higher ground or inland. A post on the National Disaster Risk Management Office’s Facebook page urged people to avoid beaches, shorelines, and coastal areas until an all-clear signal was issued.

Sirens sounded in the capital, Nuku’alofa, according to a Radio New Zealand correspondent in Tonga, prompting evacuations.

There were no immediate reports of damage. A person answering the phone at the Tanoa International Dateline Hotel in Nuku’alofa, located on the main island of Tongatapu, reported that the building shook but no further damage was observed. “The whole building shaked. No further damage. Everything was ok,” she said.

The USGS classified the seismic event as a “major” earthquake, capable of causing severe damage to infrastructure. Yet, the significant depth of the quake mitigated the risk of a widespread tsunami.

Tonga, an archipelago comprising 171 islands with a population of just over 100,000, is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for intense seismic and volcanic activity. In 2022, a volcanic eruption triggered a tsunami that resulted in three fatalities in the island nation.

Disaster management officials in New Zealand, approximately 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) northeast of Tonga, confirmed there was no tsunami threat to their country.