A strong earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 6,1 struck on Friday near the Pacific island of Fiji, Australian officials said.
Geoscience Australia said the quake hit about 300km north-east of the Fijian capital Suva.
The United States Geological Survey earlier described the epicentre of the quake, which occurred at 5.58am GMT, as 563km north-west of the Tongan capital Nuku’alofa.
No reports of casualties or damage were immediately available, but Spiro Spiliopoulos, a seismologist with Geoscience Australia, said the underwater earthquake was not considered dangerous.
“It’s too deep and too small to cause a tsunami,” he told Agence France-Presse.
“It’s a very active area. We see these quite often.”
A second quake with an estimated magnitude of 5,6 struck 305km west of the Tongan town of Neiafu at 10.40am GMT on Friday, the US Geological Survey said later.
Spiliopoulos, who was speaking before the second quake, said earthquakes were a common occurrence in what is known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity. — AFP