UPDATE: 12:42 p.m. EDT—The earthquake that hit Fiji on Thursday was downgraded from an 8.1 magnitude to a 7.8 magnitude, the United States Geological Survey said.
Original story:
A magnitude 8.1 earthquake hit off the coast of Suva, Fiji, on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey confirmed. The quake was reported southeast of Suva, the capital of the islands.
The quake was reported at a depth of 608 km. Because of the depth, only light shaking was felt in Suva, Fiji, the USGS said. It was not immediately clear whether there was any damage or injuries. According to the USGS risk assessment, there was a low likelihood of casualties, damage or severe economic impact.
The National Weather Center said a tsunami was not expected following the earthquake.
"Based on all available data, a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in an alert.
According to the Richter Scale, which measures the severity of earthquakes, a magnitude 8 quake is "great," occurring every 100 years or so with very severe movements.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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