Tsunami Advisory Lifted After Powerful Earthquake Hits Tonga

Read More

WELLINGTON, New Zealand—A powerful, shallow underwater earthquake struck Friday near Tonga in the southern Pacific, prompting authorities to issue and then lift a tsunami advisory.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 7.3 quake was centered 211 kilometers (132 miles) east-southeast of Neiafu, Tonga, at a depth of 24.8 kilometers (15 miles). It predicted strong shaking but said the probability of serious damage or casualties was small.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued and later lifted a tsunami advisory, which is one step below a tsunami warning.

An undersea volcano erupted in Tonga in January, killing three people, blanketing its main island with a thick layer of volcanic ash, and shooting millions of tons of water vapor high up into the atmosphere.