Tonga Quake: 'It Was A Little Bit Scary', But Life Returns To Normal

Monday, 31 March 2025, 5:23 pm
Article: RNZ

Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific Journalist
Ashleigh McCaull, Journalist

Life is back to "business as usual" in Tonga and there appears to be no damage after a large earthquake in the early hours of this morning.

A magnitude 7 earthquake struck about 1.20am this morning centred 79 kilometres south-southeast of Pangai, in the Ha'apai group of islands.

Tsunami siren was activated and warnings were issued, calling for people to move to higher ground.

However, the tsunami warning was cancelled by the local authorities just before 5am local time.

Ben Maloney, a New Zealander in Nuku'alofa, working on Queen Sālote Wharf said from what he can tell there has been no damage.

"It's just business as usual, a lot of the boys didn't show up because I guess everybody has been evacuated and nobody's got much sleep, but everyone is pretty calm I think," Maloney said.

He was woken to rattling windows and initially thought it was just the wind.

"Then I felt the building shaking, and I'm up on the second floor, so it was quite intense.

"It started rolling me around in bed, and yeah, it was a little bit scary, kind of exciting, but scary at the same time."

George Lavaka, a journalist in Tonga said people are just waiting now for any reports of damage but things have returned to normal apart from some schools that have closed to give children a chance to catch up on sleep.

Tsunami series continued for hours in the early morning.

Lavaka said many children did not return to their homes from the evacuation centres until about 6am.

"I'm looking around in the buildings opposite me with glass windows and all that, including our office here, I can't see any damage.

"Everything is okay, as far as I can see and people are walking normally in everything, even though some are looking tired."

A spokesperson for New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said they have not received any reports of damage in Tonga following a large earthquake this morning.

The spokesperson said 31 New Zealanders have registered with SafeTravel as being in Tonga and there have been no requests for consular assistance.

They said New Zealand has offered the island nation assistance, but none has been requested.

'Shaking' in Niue

A journalist in Niue told RNZ Pacific the earthquake in Tonga was also felt on Niue.

Niue Broadcasting head Esther Pavihi said she woke up to the bed shaking, she could feel the house shaking just after 1.20am.

"My partner was still awake and he said the shaking lasted for about 7 to 8 seconds, he described the sound like a big truck rolling past the house," she said.

Pavihi said about 10 or 15 minutes after the quake, the metservice issued a tsunami advisory notice but with the message that there was no tsunami threat to Niue.

She said a second tremor followed the first one, and she's not heard of any reports of damage on the island.

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