A 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit near Tonga early Monday morning, causing slight damage and brief evacuations before the threat of a tsunami hitting the Pacific island country passed.
Tsunami sirens could be heard after the 1:18 a.m. quake urging residents to move inland in a live video streamed by the Tonga Broadcasting Commission. People in the capital, Nuku’alofa, were seen moving inland or to higher ground before officials gave the all-clear for residents to return home.
Tongans posting on social media reported being able to place calls to most islands in the archipelago. Taekwondo athlete Pita Taufatofua posted to Facebook that items fell from shelves and tables and pictures fell from the walls during the shaking.
“Was hard to stand up,” he wrote. “Never felt an earthquake go for that long.”
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit at a depth of 29 kilometers (18 miles) and was centered about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of the main island. Hours later, a second 6.1 magnitude quake hit in the same area.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a notice after the first quake saying hazardous waves were possible but the threat passed with only minor sea changes detected. A warning was also cancelled hours later by the country’s disaster management office.