A major, 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck in the South Pacific Ocean on Monday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake prompted a brief “Tsunami Threat” for Tonga. Preliminary reports from the U.

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake near the island nation of Tonga led to a tsunami warning for the Pacific island country in the early morning hours of Monday local time.

The US Tsunami Warning Centre earlier warned waves were possible within 300 kilometres of the epicentre, which struck approximately 100 kilometres off the coast of Tonga.

A tsunami warning has been issued for places within 300km of the epicentre, including the capital, Nuku'alofa.

Tonga's quake comes just two days after Myanmar and Thailand were hit by a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake. The death toll currently stands at 1,700 as people remain trapped under collapsed buildings.

The Tonga Meteorological Services told residents in the risk area to evacuate inland to high ground, three-story solid buildings or tsunami evacuation sites.

(Reuters) -- A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Tonga on Sunday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said. The quake was at a depth of 16 km (10 miles), GFZ said. GFZ had earlier pegged the earthquake at 6.6.

An earthquake of magnitude 7.1 hit the Tonga Islands on Sunday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).