2 Nov 2009

Moderate quake strikes off northern Tonga

2:06 pm on 2 November 2009

A moderate earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 has struck off northern Tonga, according to seismologists.

There were no early reports of damage after the quake, which occurred at 9.28am local time on Monday.

The quake was centred 355km north of the main island of Vava'u at a depth of 14km, the United States Geological Survey said.

Nine people died five weeks ago when a tsunami hit the northern Tongan island of Niuatoputapu following an 8.0 magnitude quake.

The tsunami also killed 143 people in Samoa and 34 in neighbouring American Samoa, AFP reports.