Tonga: Magnitude-5.0 offshore earthquake occurs northeast of Tongatapu island at around 10:50 Oct. 7

A magnitude-5.0 offshore earthquake occurred northeast of Tongatapu Island at around 10:50 Oct. 7. The epicenter was about 97 km (60 miles) east-northeast of Kolonga. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and light shaking was probably in nearby islands. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Aftershocks are likely over the coming days.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.