Magnitude 6.2 Earthquake Strikes Off Tonga

The earthquake comes while Tonga is still recovering from the volcanic aftermath.

Beijing: An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 jolted 225 km WNW of Pangai, Tonga at 06.40 GMT on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 4.17 km, was initially determined to be at 19.0681 degrees south latitude and 176.3494 degrees west longitude, Xinhua news agency reported.

The earthquake comes while Tonga is still recovering from the volcanic aftermath. A massive volcanic eruption that took in the same Pacific region place on January 15. Tonga authorities issued a tsunami warning in view of the eruption scientists described as the “loudest eruption since Krakatau in 1883”.