A powerful earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck near the Mariana Islands on Friday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The significant tremor occurred shortly after 6 a.m. local time (4 p.m. ET Thursday), in the Maug Islands region near Saipan, the northernmost and largest of the Mariana Islands. Situated in the western Pacific Ocean north of the equator, the Mariana Islands are part of the United States.
Initial reports did not indicate any injuries.
However, as of late Friday morning, no tsunami warning, advisory, watch, or threat had been issued for the area by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the National Weather Service.
Data from the USGS indicated that the earthquake occurred approximately 132 miles deep. The USGS forecast predicts at least one aftershock within the next week.
It is important to note that the Weather Service assessed the risk of a tsunami on the West Coast but did not issue a warning.
This earthquake follows a significant 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan. The Taiwan earthquake, recorded by the USGS as a 7.4 magnitude event, occurred just before 8 a.m. and had killed nine people and injured more than 1,000 as of Thursday.
Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines all issued and then canceled tsunami warnings after the quake, although several small tsunami waves were reported in Okinawa, Japan
Contributing to this report: John Bacon and Jeanine Santucci.