A magnitude 6.6 earthquake occurred Tuesday off the coast of the Tonga archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, without triggering a tsunami warning, according to concordant sources.
The epicenter of the submarine earthquake was located 134 km west of Neiafu, the second largest city in the country, said the US Geophysical Institute (USGS). It should not have caused any significant damage. This earthquake was followed a few minutes later by another of magnitude 5.5. The first shock was not felt in the capital, Nuku'alofa, according to an AFP journalist.
There is no risk of a tsunami, for its part said the Pacific tsunami warning center that announced an earthquake of magnitude 6.9. The Tongan archipelago, which has 107,000 inhabitants and 170 islands scattered over some 700 square kilometers, is among the top 20 countries at risk for natural disasters (cyclones, earthquakes, etc.), according to the UN. Located 2,000 kilometers northeast of New Zealand and 650 kilometers east of Fiji, it lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where continental plates frequently collide, causing significant seismic activity. .