The US Geological Society said three successive quakes hit off Fiji and Tonga in the South Pacific. USGS MAP
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Fiji on Sunday shortly after another hit off Tonga but there was no threat of a tsunami, US seismologists said.
The offshore quake occurred at 9:28 am (9:28 p.m. Saturday, Manila time), centered around 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of the Fijian island of Ndoi at a depth of 594 km, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said on its website.
It came 20 minutes after a 6.3-magnitude quake hit 124 kilometers northwest of Tonga.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said neither quake posed a tsunami threat.
In its preliminary impact assessment, the USGS said there was a low likelihood of casualties and damage./rga