A powerful earthquake was reported in the Pacific Ocean early Monday morning local time, with officials saying there is a tsunami threat for areas near the epicenter.

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Sunday near Tonga, a nation of more than 170 islands in the South Pacific Ocean.

A strong 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit near Tonga, a country in Polynesia made up of 171 islands with a population of a little more than 100,000 people.