A magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck early Thursday near the South Pacific nation of Tonga, prompting tsunami warnings for as far away as Fiji and New Zealand. The warning was lifted after a tsunami of less than 2 feet was recorded.

There were no reports of a tsunami or damage from the quake. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu lifted its tsunami warning for all areas within several hours. It said there was no data indicating that the earthquake generated a giant wave.

The US Geological Survey said the quake was centred some 16km (10 miles) below the ocean floor about 160km (100 miles) north-east of the capital, Nuku'alofa. It struck at 0426 local time (1526 GMT), the USGS said. There was no immediate word of damage or injuries. Tsunami alerts were issued across the region but were cancelled within hours. The earthquake was rated as the strongest quake of 2006.

Brief alert

Experts at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, based in Hawaii, revised initial estimates that a destructive wave could hit Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa or Hawaii. Sea level readings suggested that a small tsunami was generated, and authorities near the epicentre were warned to be on guard for rough seas.

But warnings of more serious waves were cancelled less than two hours after the quake struck. Early estimates had suggested that Fiji could bear the brunt of any large tsunami. Areas along New Zealand's coastline were also placed on high alert, although concerns eased as warnings were scaled down. Experts say earthquakes as strong as magnitude 8.0 could trigger a lethal tsunami, depending on conditions and the nature of the quake.

Heavy shock

Initial reports from police in Tonga suggested the quake caused little damage to property and few injuries. The owner of Tonga Radio, Ron Vea, told the BBC about the moment the earthquake struck. "I was asleep and we are in an apartment building, two-storey apartment building, just across from the waterfront and then we felt the crackling sound, it's just a weird kind of a sound I haven't heard before.

"When I got up I felt the building swaying back and forth and it was for at least a minute that it went on like that." Reports from the capital, Nuku'alofa, suggested heavy shaking and some potential damage to property. Other islands reported lesser shocks. The previous biggest earthquakes in the Tonga region of the Pacific were a magnitude 6.7 in January 2004 and a 7.2 in January 2000.

Güncelleme Tarihi: 20 Eylül 2018, 18:16