292 km SW of Vaini, Tonga

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake — a major event — struck near 292 km SW of Vaini, Tonga on May 23, 2013, at a intermediate-depth depth of about 174 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. A tsunami threat was flagged for this event — large, shallow quakes beneath or near the ocean can lift the seafloor and generate destructive waves. 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.