- An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale hit the off the coast region of Tonga in the Pacific Ocean.The US Geological Survey (USGS) said that the earthquake occurred 117 kilometers southeast of Bangi, at a depth of 10 km.There have been no reports of casualties or material losses due to the earthquake so far.Tonga is an archipelago of 176 scattered islands located in the South Pacific Ocean, stretching about 800 kilometers from north to south, and is located about a third of the distance between New Zealand and Hawaii. Source: Qatar News Agency