7.3-magnitude earthquake strikes near Tonga islands

A 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit the Pacific Ocean, 283 kilometers north of Nuku"alofa, the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga.

Report informs, citing Interfax, that the quake occurred at 8:38 a.m. Baku time, with the epicenter located about 138 kilometers west of Niuafou, Tonga"s second-most populous island.

The tremor was classified as "strong" at the epicenter.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) put the earthquake"s magnitude at 7.6.