Magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes Tonga region, tsunami warnings issued

An earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck in the sea east of south-east Neiafu, Tonga.

A closeup of a seismograph machine needle drawing a red line on graph paper depicting seismic and earthquake activity on isolated white background.

An earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck in the sea about 207 kilometers (128.6 miles) east of south-east Neiafu, Tonga, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said Friday.

A tsunami advisory was issued for American Samoa, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC). Hazardous tsunami waves from the earthquake are possible within 300 kilometers of the epicenter along the coasts of Niue and Tonga, it added.

The quake was at a depth of 10 kilometers, the USGS said.

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