NUKU'ALOFA - A MODERATE earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 struck near northern Tonga on Thursday, seismologists said.

There were no early reports of damage after the earthquake hit at 12.56 pm (2356 GMT Wednesday, 7.56am Singapore time).

The quake was centred 50 kilometres north-east of the Tongan island of Niuatoputapu at a depth of 10 kilometres, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

Nine people died late last month on Niuatoputapu in a tsunami triggered by an 8.0 magnitude earthquake. The tsunami also killed 143 people in Samoa and another 34 in neighbouring American Samoa. -- AFP