5-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Tonga in Pacific Ocean

An earthquake measuring 5.0 magnitude on the Richter scale struck the islands of Tonga, located in the South Pacific Ocean on Monday. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said that the earthquake occurred 131 km from Hihifo village, at a depth of 10 km. There have been no reports of casualties or material damage due to the earthquake. No warnings of tsunami waves have been issued. Tonga is an archipelago of 176 scattered islands, of which only 52 are inhabited in the South Pacific Ocean, located in northwest New Zealand and Australia. Source: Qatar News Agency