A magnitude 6.4 earthquake rattled Tonga today, the United States Geological Survey said, striking off the country’s east coast.
The USGS said the quake hit at a depth of 243km and about 137km from the closest town of Neiafu.
It struck at 5.15pm local time (4.15pm NZT).
Earthquakes are common in Tonga, a low-lying archipelago that is home to around 100,000 people and straddles the seismic Ring of Fire.
The Ring of Fire is an arc of intense tectonic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
