KUALA LUMPUR — A tsunami warning has been issued after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck near the Pacific island of Tonga this evening.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake hit about 100 km northeast of the main island in the early morning hours of Monday local time, the Associated Press reports. Tonga is five hours ahead of Malaysia.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami alert, warning of the potential of hazardous waves headed for coasts located within 300 km of the quake’s epicenter.
Tonga is a Polynesian kingdom of more than 170 South Pacific islands, with a population of over 100,000 people, most of whom live on the main island of Tongatapu.
According to the USGS, other island countries affected by the earthquake are Fiji and Niue. Tonga is more than 3,500 kilometers off of Australia’s east coast.
This is the second major earthquake of over 7.0-magnitude in three days, coming on the heels of the 7.7-magnitude temblor that struck central Myanmar on Friday, where the current death toll is estimated to be at over 1,600 people, with more fatalities expected.
Earlier today, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake also struck Banda Aceh in Indonesia, but no tsunami warning was issued. – March 30, 2025