Tonga Police were assisting the public during the tsunami alert following a 7.6 magnitude earthquake.
Photo: Tonga Police
A tsunami alert has now been lifted for all of Tonga after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday evening.
The very deep quake did not trigger an alert for New Zealand or the rest of the Pacific but there was a precautionary one in place for Tonga.
While the warning later lifted for most of Tonga, it remained in place for the island group that was closest to the earthquake.
Officials now say there is no threat to the country.
The 7.6 magnitude quake hit just after 5.30pm (NZDT) about 130 kilometres off the coast of Vava’u at a depth of 237 kilometres.
A Tonga government official in Vava’u said the earthquake that struck the kingdom had not caused significant damage.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said a tsunami was not expected.
“There is no tsunami threat because the earthquake is located too deep inside the earth,” PTWC said.
However, Tonga’s National Emergency Operation Centre put out an urgent tsunami alert for the country.
The officer in charge of the group for the environment and disaster ministry, Lucy Faanunu, said there was no significant damage in Neiafu on the main island in the group.
She said she was driving home from work when the quake struck.
“When I was driving it was shaking the steering wheel was shaking like left, right, left right.
“And then when I arrived home my son said ‘Mum did you feel the earthquake? Because it was quite long!'” Faanunu said.
She said as a precaution against any potential tsunami waves, people have been told to move to higher ground and stay there until an official all clear was given.
RNZ Pacific’s correspondent in Nuku’alofa Kalafi Moala said he had experienced many quakes in Tonga but this one felt different.
“This was a long one. Probably the longest I have experienced here. And now the sirens are going and there’s announcements that people should quickly evacuate to higher ground.”
New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency assessed the tsunami risk and decided there was no threat to Aotearoa.
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