Suva: According to a statement from the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), an earthquake with a Richter Scale value of 6.3 occurred Monday south of the Fiji Islands. According to the NCS, the earthquake happened 10 kilometres below the surface, rendering it vulnerable to aftershocks.
In a message to X, the NCS said, “EQ of M: 6.3, On: 14/04/2025 01:32:52 IST, Lat: 25.87 S, Long: 178.18 W, Depth: 10 Km, Location: South of Fiji Islands.”
In contrast to deeper earthquakes, which lose energy as they approach the surface, shallow earthquakes are more destructive because they release more energy closer to the ground, resulting in harsher ground shaking, more damage to buildings, and more fatalities.
Historical records and contemporary seismic activity have shown that the southern region of the Fiji Islands is known to be earthquake-prone. This location is part of the Fiji Seismic Zone, which is prone to earthquakes.
Fiji is in the “Ring of Fire”—also referred to as the Circum-Pacific Seismic Belt—a region with a high level of seismic activity. There are many earthquakes in this area, some of which are rather large.
The belt is found at tectonic plate borders when plates, mostly composed of oceanic crust, are subducting under one another.
Slippage between plates and rupture within plates are the causes of earthquakes in these subduction zones.
There has been a history of earthquakes in Fiji, some of which have caused significant disruption and damage. The continuous seismic danger in the area is highlighted by the Mineral Resources Department (MRD) of Fiji, which keeps track of different earthquakes and their effects.
Suva, the capital city of the Republic of Fiji, is seen as particularly susceptible. This is in fact supported by recent history, as seen by the disastrous Suva earthquake (Richter Magnitude ML 6.5) and tsunami that occurred on September 14, 1953.
