Magnitude 6.9 earthquake hits near Tonga in South Pacific: USGS Sat Nov 1, 2014 3:16pm EDT (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck in the South Pacific on Saturday, 186 miles (300 km) west-northwest of Tonga, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There was no immediate tsunami alert following the quake, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The quake was 259 miles (417 km) deep, according to USGS. Reporting by Eric Beech in Washington; Editing by Doina Chiacu