M6.1 earthquake near Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu
14449 d ago · 26 Mar 1987, 18:32 UTC 51 km E of ‘Ohonua, Tonga
What happened
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck 51 km E of ‘Ohonua, Tonga on 26 Mar 1987, 18:32 UTC at a depth of 81 km.
Earthquakes of this size are classed as Strong. Can cause damage in populated areas up to tens of kilometres away. This was an intermediate-depth earthquake, so shaking is spread over a wider, gentler area.
The nearest town in our records is Nuku‘alofa, about 82 km away in Tongatapu, Tonga.
Timeline
First reported by USGS
16 Oct 2026, 20:46 UTC
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