An earthquake measuring 8.1 has hit the Tonga islands, east of Australia and northeast of New Zealand, the US Geological Survey (USGS) website said on Wednesday. A tsunami warning was issued for Fiji and New Zealand but later lifted.The earthquake was at 1526 GMT, said the website monitored in London. It was not immediately clear what damage it caused, but a report on Sky Television said it was felt in several islands. A resident of Tonga told Sky he felt tremors lasting over 30 seconds. The earthquake, classified by the USGS as a "great" quake, struck 155 km (95 miles) south of Tonga's Neiafu Island and 2145 km (1340 miles) northeast of Auckland, New Zealand, the USGS said. The Tonga islands are an archipelago east of Australia and northeast of New Zealand.
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