Magnitude-6.0 Earthquake Hits Near Tonga

A strong magnitude-6.0 earthquake struck off the Pacific Island nation of Tonga on Wednesday, Oct. 18.

It hit 12 a.m. local time around 62 miles south-southeast of Pangai, a village, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

There were no immediate reports of damage by the quake.

A tsunami warning was also not issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Tonga is somewhat vulnerable to earthquakes. The USGS said in a statement, “Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist.”

“The predominant vulnerable building types are informal (metal, timber, GI etc.) and unknown/miscellaneous types construction.”