The United States Geological Survey says a strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off Tonga.
The horizontal quake, at a depth of 10km, was centred 95km southeast of the capital Nuku'alofa .
No tsunami warning was immediately issued.
Nine people died in September 2009, when a tsunami hit the northern Tongan island of Niuatoputapu following an 8.0-magnitude earthquake.
The tsunami also killed 143 people in Samoa and another 34 in neighbouring American Samoa.
