Quake near Tonga triggers small tsunami

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck central Tonga this morning, prompting a tsunami warning for New Zealand and other countries which was later lifted.

A small tsunami of less than half a metre was observed at Niue (east of Tonga) and at Pago Pago in American Samoa (north of Tonga).

The National Crisis Management Centre in New Zealand said there were no reports of damage in Fiji, Niue, the Solomons, Tokelau or Rarotonga.

Spokesman Allen Walley said: "Whilst electricity is out in Tonga, there are no reports of major damage at this time."

Geological and Nuclear Science seismologist Brian Ferris said the quake was also felt in Auckland and Gisborne. He was awoken by an alarm system when the quake struck.

"There has been a small wave, about half a metre high, detected near Niue and Pago Pago, but that's not going to threaten New Zealand," he said.

In New Zealand, police call centres received more than 50 calls an hour as worried people tried to find out what they should do. People fled their homes in Gisborne where a tsunami was originally predicted to hit at 6.21am.

People ran into the streets of Tongan capital Nuku'alofa as buildings shook during the quake which lasted about four minutes, a police officer told Radio New Zealand.

New Zealand jazz musician Richard Adams was in a hotel in Nuku'Alofa when the quake struck.

"It was the biggest earthquake I've ever felt," Mr Adams told CNN. "Things were falling over, my bag was falling over it went on for at least ... well, it felt like five minutes, but I guess it was probably a minute."

Power to the hotel - the Pacific Royale - was cut, and it was littered with broken glass and plates, and pot plants were toppled.

In panic, one guest jumped from third floor balcony into the hotel court yard.

"He was the only tourist injured. He jumped from his room, maybe he was afraid," said William Vea, the night receptionist at the hotel.

A report on Sky Television said it was felt in several Tongan islands. A resident told Sky he felt tremors lasting over 30 seconds.

The quake hit 170km northeast of the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa at 3.26am (NZT), at a depth of 38km, the New Zealand Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS) said.

The epicentre was near the Ha'apai islands in central Tonga, approximately 2150km northeast of Auckland.

The quake was reported by GNS as magnitude 8.1, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii later said it measured 7.8 on the Richer scale.

The Tsunami Warning Centre issued warnings for countries in the region at 3.42am, saying at the time it did not know whether the quake actually generated a tsunami. If it did, it could have hit Fiji at 5.13am and Gisborne at 6.21am.

The Centre later cancelled all warnings, and said New Zealand would likely experience half-metre swells only.

Niue registered a 0.21m wave at 4.03am and Pago Pago registered a 0.15m wave at 4.36am, according to data on the Tsunami Warning Centre website.

- NZPA, REUTERS, NZHERALD STAFF