MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A 7.7-magnitude earthquake has occurred off Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reports.
The quake occurred at 21:18 GMT on Friday, at a depth of 188 kilometers (about 117 miles), USGS said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said that no tsunami is expected following the quake.
"Based on all available data a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii," PTWC said in a Friday information statement.
According to the Richter scale, earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.0- 7.9 are considered major and can cause severe damage.
