Tsunami Warning Issued for Tonga Following Strong Earthquake

A significant earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale prompted a temporary tsunami warning for the Pacific island nation of Tonga. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reported seismic activity with a magnitude of 7, which triggered alerts from the U.S. tsunami warning system. Initial reports did not provide details regarding potential damages or casualties.

The earthquake occurred in the early hours of Monday local time, approximately 100 kilometers northeast of Tonga's main island. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a cautionary message indicating that dangerous waves could affect coastal areas within a 300-kilometer radius of the quake's epicenter. However, the tsunami warning has since been lifted.

Tonga, situated about 3,000 kilometers east of Australia, is home to around 100,000 residents and consists of 172 islands, of which 36 are inhabited. Historically, this archipelago was referred to as the Friendship Islands.

In 2022, Tonga faced a catastrophic volcanic eruption from the undersea volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, which was one of the most severe eruptions in decades. This event generated a massive ash cloud and triggered a tsunami that affected coastlines as far away as Alaska, Japan, and South America.

The 2021 World Risk Report ranked Tonga as the third country globally with the highest risk of experiencing a catastrophic natural disaster. This classification is unsurprising given the region's history of severe storms. For instance, on January 11, 2014, Cyclone Ian (Category 5) struck the island nation, bringing winds of up to 200 km/h and causing extensive damage, particularly on the Ha'apai island group and its main island Lifuka.

Just days prior to the earthquake in Tonga, Southeast Asia was affected by a major earthquake that hit Myanmar, with the most powerful tremor reaching a magnitude of 7.7 near the city of Mandalay. The military government in Myanmar reported approximately 1,700 fatalities from this disaster, with additional damage reported in Thailand, including casualties in the capital, Bangkok.