Preliminary magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes near Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean: USGS

New Delhi: In a major update, a strong preliminary magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck near Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean on March 24, that lead to the coastal evacuations. However, there was no wider tsunami warnings. According to the United States Geological Survey the earthquake struck during evening local time at a depth of about 237 km (148 miles).

As per the reports, the quake was centered at sea, 153 km (95 miles) west of Neiafu. However, there was no immediate reports of casualty. Meanwhile, the Tonga’s National Disaster Risk Management Office issued a warning in the low-lying island nation to shift immediately to higher ground or inland.

It is to be noted that people were also given warning to avoid beaches, and low-lying coastal areas till the situation is all clear, according to a post of the office’s Facebook page.

As per the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii there was no tsunami threat as the quake was “located too deep inside the earth.”

Talking about the region, Tonga is an archipelago in Polynesia. It consists of 171 islands with around 100,000 people. It is to be noted here that the island nation is about 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) northeast of New Zealand. It is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire.