A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the Pacific island nation of Tonga, sending panicked residents into the streets at night, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Residents in the capital, Nuku'alofa, 120 miles (195 kilometers) southwest of the epicenter, 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 185 miles (300 kilometers)
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.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake, which struck at 3:32
a.m. (1332 GMT, 8:32 a.m. EST), was 6.8-magnitude and was generated
from a depth of 38 miles (62 kilometers) in the ocean. No tsunami
was 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 Sept. 29, a tsunami spawned by a magnitude-8.3 earthquake
killed 34 people in American Samoa, 183 in Samoa and nine in Tonga.