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Magnitude 7.3 earthquake hits Tonga prompting local tsunami alert

National Emergency Management Office - NEMO Tonga
Source: RNZ Pacific

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Tonga just before midnight local time, 211km from the capital Nuku'alofa and the American Samoa Emergency Operations Center issued a tsunami advisory.

People in Tonga were initially evacuated to higher ground but so far there have been no reports of damages.

The Tongan government said the marine tsunami warning issued earlier for the entire kingdom has now been cancelled.

However, there are concerns for four fishermen who were at sea at the time the tsunami warning was issued.

The US Geological Survey said the quake was 24.8km deep, 211km from the capital Nuku'alofa and east of south-east of Neiafu.

An RNZ Pacific correspondent in Nuku'alofa said the quake lasted about two minutes.

AMERICAN SAMOA AND SAMOA WERE ON ALERT

In American Samoa, the National Weather Station issued a tsunami advisory at 12:30 a.m. Friday.

It said some areas may have experienced strong shaking adding that its monitoring the situation

For Samoa, the meteorology office issued an advisory following a 6.5 quake earlier in the Fiji islands region.

"The depth is 38km and the distance is 560.34 km south west of the capital Apia," it said.

"The public is hereby advised that although there is a not tsunami from this earthquake please take extra precaution when you are attending activities near the coastal area," it said.

The tsunami advisory for American Samoa was cancelled at 1:28a.m. Friday morning