Fiji earthquake measures magnitude 7.2; tsunami alert issued

NADI, Fiji -- Authorities say a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit near the Fiji Islands, causing a tsunami warning for parts of the Pacific Ocean.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the earthquake hit a part of the ocean about 227 kilometers southwest of Nadi. The agency says the quake is 10 kilometers deep.
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Radio New Zealand reports that people have been evacuating Nadi since the earthquake. Nadi, on Fiji's main island, is a city of about 42,000 and a hub for tourism.

The agency says a tsunami warning has been issued for parts of the Pacific located within 300 kilometers of the quake. But no such warning has been issued for the Hawaiian Islands.
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A 2004 quake and tsunami killed a total of 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Aceh, Indonesia.