4.9-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Tonga in Pacific Ocean

An earthquake measuring 4.9 magnitude on the Richter scale struck off the coast of southern Tonga in the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said that the epicenter of the earthquake occurred 131 km from Hihifo village, at a depth of 76.5 km. There have been no reports of casualties or material damage due to the earthquake. Tonga is an archipelago of 176 scattered islands, of which only 52 are inhabited in the South Pacific Ocean, extending about 800 km from north to south, and located about a third of the distance between New Zealand and Hawaii. Source: Qatar News Agency