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March 30, 2025 / 11:13 AM EDT / CBS News
A major earthquake has rattled Tonga, an archipelago nation in the South Pacific Ocean that comprises some 170 islands.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimated the 7.0 magnitude quake struck roughly 60 miles northeast of the main island, Tongatapu, where the capital city Nuku’alofa is located, and about 50 miles southeast of a different island in the archipelago called Pangai. Early observations from USGS suggested parts of Tongatapu and Pangai may have experienced light or moderate shaking as a result of the quake.
No damages or injuries have been reported so far. The earthquake occurred at 1:18 a.m. local time — technically early Monday morning — triggering a tsunami warning that advised people within the threat area to evacuate to higher ground or take shelter inside steel or concrete buildings, or designated tsunami evacuation sites, according to Tonga Meteorological Services. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, had also issued an alert that warned of potentially dangerous waves linked to the earthquake, but the center has since said the tsunami threat passed.
U.S. Geological Survey
The director of Tonga Meteorological Services, Laitia Fifita, said the agency was closely monitoring sea levels but had not detected hazardous activity several hours after the quake, the local news site Talanoa o Tonga reported.
This quake followed another massive one Friday in Myanmar, which had a magnitude of 7.7 and left thousands dead, injured, and missing in and around two of that country’s major urban areas, Mandalay and Naypitaw. The earthquake in Myanmar also hit neighboring Thailand, with at least dozens dead and injured in and around the capital Bangkok, authorities said.
As of Sunday, more than 200 remained missing in parts of Myanmar and Thailand in the aftermath of the earthquake. The destructive event also flattened buildings in hard-hit places, where officials said they were continuing to search debris for additional remains.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
Emily Mae CzachorEmily Mae Czachor is a news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and issues involving social and criminal justice. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.
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