WELLINGTON: A powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the Pacific island nation of Tonga on Friday, but no tsunami warning was issued, US monitoring agencies said.
The earthquake struck shortly after 7:00 am (1800 GMT Thursday) at a depth of 167 kilometres (103 miles) some 290 kilometres southwest of the capital Nuku'alofa, the United States Geological Survey said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damages. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no tsunami threat, based on available information.
Tonga sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates often shift, frequently experiencing seismic activity.