Tonga eases 'dangerous' tsunami warning after 7.6 magnitude earthquake

WASHINGTON / ISTANBUL

Tonga on Tuesday eased its “dangerous” tsunami warning which was put in place after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake rattled Neiafu Tonga, early Tuesday.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake struck 153 kilometers (95 miles) west of Neiafu.

It occurred at a depth of 237.5 kilometers (147.5 miles).

There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.

Tonga Meteorological Services has eased its tsunami warning for several locations, including Vava'u, Tongatapu, 'Eua, Ha'apai and Niuas, it said in a statement on US social media company Facebook.

Earlier the Tonga Meteorological Services issued a national warning for a possible tsunami, adding that the earthquake was felt across the nation.

“A dangerous tsunami could occur in minutes,” it said in a statement on US social media company X, urging people to evacuate to safer places.

Neiafu, the second-largest town in Tonga, has a population of a little less than 4,000 and is located on a deep-water harbor on the south coast of Vavaʻu, the main island of the Vavaʻu archipelago in northern Tonga.