An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 was felt throughout Tonga yesterday afternoon, but no damage was reported, while people in Ha'apai who were closest to the epicentre said that shaking had become almost a daily routine since a damaging 7.9 quake on May 4 closed their hospital.

The Ha‘apai Police Force confirmed this morning, May 29 that they felt both quakes yesterday, but they were fairly light and nothing was damaged.

Police Constable Latai Tuita said that since the violent 7.9 earthquake of May 4, the aftershocks had become a routine feature in their daily lives, as they have been experiencing shakes nearly everyday.

Yesterday's 5.9 was one of two earthquakes - the other magnitude 4.9- that occurred close to Ha'apai on May 28. The moderate 5.9 earthquake was recorded at 4:36pm, at a depth of 42.1km (26.2miles) according to the US Geological Survey.

The exact location of the quake was 19.888...ºS, which is 155km (95 miles) NNE of Nuku...’alofa Tonga, 150km (95 miles) SSW of Neiafu, Vava...’u and 440km (275 miles) E of Ndoi Island, Fiji and 2145km (1330 miles) NNE of Auckland, New Zealand.

In the morning of the same day at about 8:40am a light earthquake of 4.9 was also recorded in the same area. Its location was at 20.027...ºS, which is 155km (95 miles) S of Neiafu, Vava...’u, 175km (110 miles) NE of Nuku...’alofa, Tonga at a depth of 15km (9.3 miles).