Quake strikes off Tonga, Samoa; no damage reported

The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6 has struck the South Pacific off the coasts of Tonga, Samoa and American Samoa.

There have been no reports of damage and no tsunami was triggered.

The quake struck on Sunday afternoon and was centred at sea 237 km southwest of Apia in Samoa and 405 km north of Neiafu in Tonga. It was at a depth of 41 km.

Residents of Apia and Neiafu told

The Associated Press that they didn’t notice it.

A magnitude 8 earthquake close to Samoa on September 29 killed 34 people in American Samoa, 183 in Samoa and nine in Tonga, when tsunami waves up to 46 feet (14 meters) high crashed ashore.