A 7.1 magnitude earthquake has struck near Tonga , leading to a tsunami alert for the island nation in the Pacific.
The earthquake struck approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of the principal island early Monday morning, as per the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of six miles, making it much shallower compared to the 18-mile deep quake that caused the Boxing Day tsunami.
However, a minor earthquake can cause stronger surface shaking, which increases the probability of a significant tsunami occurring.
Dangerous waves might affect coastlines located within 300 kilometers (185 miles) of the earthquake's hypocenter, as per the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
Initially, there were no immediate reports of damages since the earthquake hit during the late hours at night.
Across 45 islands, Tonga has a population of 100,000 people.
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