A strong 6.9-magnitude earthquake has struck the Pacific Ocean near Tonga, according to seismologists. There were no immediate reports of serious damage and no tsunami warnings were issued. The earthquake, which struck at 12:29 p.m. local time on Monday, was centered in the ocean about 9 miles (15 kilometers) from the volcanic island of Tofua, or 87 miles (140 kilometers) north of the capital Nuku’alofa. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.9 and struck about 66 miles (106 kilometers) below the seabed, making it a relatively deep earthquake. A resident in …