Asia

Magnitude 5.9 Earthquake Strikes Off Tonga Coast - USGS

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A 5.9 magnitude earthquake was registered on Friday off the coast of the Polynesian kingdom of Tonga in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
Sputnik

Initially, seismologists reported about a 6.2 magnitude earthquake.

The quake was registered at 09:41 GMT about 60 miles to the east from Hihifo town at the depth of 6.2 miles.

​No casualties or destruction have been reported. USGS noted the "green level" of the threat of the quake consequences, indicating a low probability of casualties and economic damage.

The Kingdom of Tonga and New Zealand are located in a seismically active zone known as the Ring of Fire and regularly suffer from powerful earthquakes.

Discuss