Strong quake hits off Samoa, Tonga: USGS

The undersea quake hit at a depth of eight kilometres (five miles), some 355 kilometres from the Samoan capital Apia, at 12:07pm Friday (2307 Thursday GMT), the US Geological Survey said.

The epicentre was 415 kilometres from the Tongan town of Neiafu, the USGS said.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake had not generated a destructive tsunami.

Earthquakes are common on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where continental plates in the Earth’s crust meet.