Large quake rattles Tonga

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A 6.8-magnitude earthquake has struck off Tonga, sending panicked residents into the streets at night - but there have been no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Residents in the capital, Nuku'alofa, 195km southwest of the epicentre, said their homes rattled, and the tremors set off frantic barking of dogs.

"There's no indication of damage right now in this area," said Faleo Vico, the duty Weather Office staffer in Nuku'alofa.

In the town of Ha'apai, on an island 300km northeast of the capital, resident Lano Fonua said the quake was strong and lasted about 45 seconds.

"Many people went out into the streets as the quake was shaking the area quite a bit. It was really going," he said.

Another local told Radio New Zealand that people were likely to be heading for high ground.

The US Geological Survey said the quake, which struck at 3.32am (2.32am NZT) on Wednesday morning, was a 6.8-magnitude and was generated from a depth of 62km in the ocean.

No tsunami or tsunami warning were reported.

"I felt the quake myself. It's not the worst that I've felt here, not by a long chalk," Tonga police commander Chris Kelley said.

On September 29, a tsunami spawned by a magnitude-8.3 earthquake killed 34 people in American Samoa, 183 in Samoa and nine in Tonga.

- AP