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Tonga hit by 6.2 magnitude earthquake just two weeks after huge volcano eruption

This is the second strong earthquake to hit the Pacific island after the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted on January 15

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake has struck Tonga just two weeks after the country was hit by a Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai volcano eruption, which was said to be more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic bomb. 

According to the United States Geological Survey, the tremor was recorded at a depth of 14.5km around 136 miles west-northwest of the village of Pangai, in Tonga's Ha'apai islands. The earthquake comes right after a tsunami that left at least three people dead alongside destroying homes across the country. A British charity worker from Brighton, Angela Glover, 50, was one among the three who lost their lives in the disaster. 

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This is the second strong earthquake to hit the Pacific island after the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted on January 15, triggering a tsunami alert. The Tongan government said on Monday, January 24, that more than 80 per cent of the country’s 105,000 inhabitants have been affected by the ashfall and tsunami. Satellite images showed plumes of ash and dust over Tonga, with smoke rising about 12 miles above sea level. 

National Weather Service Pago Pago said there is currently not a tsunami threat from the earthquake. It tweeted, "NO TSUNAMI THREAT FROM A NEARBY EARTHQUAKE..."AN EARTHQUAKE WITH A PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF 6.2 OCCURRED NEAR THE TONGA ISLANDS ON JANUARY 26, 2022 at 7:40 PM SST. "BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA... THERE IS NO TSUNAMI THREAT TO AMERICAN SAMOA FROM THIS EARTHQUAKE."

The UK's HMS Spey arrived in Nuku’alofa on January 26 with 30,000 liters of bottled water, medical supplies basic sanitation, and baby products. Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said, "Responding to humanitarian crises across the globe is a core part of our of Armed Forces’ daily business. The crew and company of HMS Spey have demonstrated that this week by delivering this vital aid."

The Australian government said its ship had completed the 2,050-mile voyage from Brisbane in a press release. "We appreciate the decision of the government of Tonga to enable HMAS Adelaide to dock and offload the humanitarian and medical supplies, and the high priority it has placed on COVID safety throughout the recovery process," the statement read. "The ship is undertaking an entirely contactless delivery of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief supplies," it further read. 

The government of Tonga described the nation as suffering an "unprecedented disaster". Tongan diplomat Curtis Tu'ihalangingie described the damage as "alarming" and said that he feared more deaths. "Possibly there will be more deaths and we just pray that is not the case," Curtis told Reuters.