159 km W of Pangai, Tonga

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake — a major event — struck near 159 km W of Pangai, Tonga on December 14, 1950, at a intermediate-depth depth of about 216 km. An earthquake this size would have been felt strongly across the surrounding region; intermediate-depth events inside a subducting slab are often felt over a wide area but do less surface damage than shallow quakes. Casualties, damage and the recovery depend on local building standards, population and distance from the epicentre — the news coverage, references and photos below capture what happened on the ground.