A strong 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit near Tonga, prompting an initial tsunami warning that was later lifted for the Pacific island country. The US Geological Survey said the quake hit about 62 miles north-east of the main island in the early morning hours of Monday local time.

Preliminary reports from the U.S. Tsunami Warning System said tsunami waves were possible for coastlines within about 190 miles of the earthquake’s epicenter, including those on Tonga. The system issued an all-clear notice about an hour later, after a tsunami would have struck had one materialized.

Tonga, located more than 3,500 kilometres (2,000 miles) off Australia's east coast, is a Polynesian country comprising 171 islands.

Myanmar's junta leader attended a regional summit in Bangkok on Friday, a week after a massive earthquake devastated parts of the impoverished war-torn country, killing more than 3,100, and spurring an appeal for help by the United Nations chief.

More than 3,000 people have died from the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Burma last week, which has sent the country into a deeper humanitarian crisis.

Yogita Limaye is the first foreign journalist to enter Myanmar since a huge earthquake hit the war-torn country.

As the road shook beneath him, Ko Zeyer sped past crumbled buildings, buckled roads and gaping sinkholes toward his hometown of Sagaing, the epicenter of the most powerful earthquake to hit Myanmar in a century.

Conditions could get even tougher for the huge relief effort after weather officials warned unseasonal rain could threaten the areas hardest-hit by the quake, such as Mandalay, Sagaing and the capital Naypyidaw.

The death toll from the massive earthquake that hit Myanmar nearly a week ago rose Thursday to 3,085 as search and rescue teams found more bodies, the military-led go