Violent earthquakes shake New Zealand – Tsunami warning for several regions
Several strong shivers
Violent earthquakes shake New Zealand – Tsunami warning in the Pacific Ocean
Auckland, New Zealand: Shocks were reported across the region, including the major cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch
© Phil Walter / Getty Images
New Zealand was shaken by violent tremors. Memories of the devastating Christchurch earthquake ten years ago awakened. The situation is still difficult to overlook. But in large parts of the Pacific region there are tsunami warnings.
There were several violent earthquakes off New Zealand on Friday. According to the disaster control agency, three severe earthquakes were recorded by morning (local time). A tsunami warning has been issued for large parts of the Pacific region. The strongest earthquake of magnitude 8.1 occurred near the Kermadec Islands, 800 km northeast of New Zealand’s North Island. Another 7.4 scale in the same area followed shortly thereafter. Hours earlier, there were earthquakes measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale 100 kilometers off the coast of the Gisborne region.
Residents of affected coastal areas have been asked to reach safety and closely monitor the situation. The Civil Protection Agency has appealed to residents of Northland, the East Cape and the Great Barrier Island to move to higher ground or as remote areas as possible. The New Zealand Herald reported that thousands were on the run. A local resident was quoted as saying: “I look at the beautiful calm sea, and I hope nothing comes from there. We have to wait and see.”
PM Ardern: ‘I hope everyone is well out there’
The Pacific Tsunami Early Warning System (PTWC) warned of the possibility of a tsunami. Experts expected waves one to three meters high. The warning has also been applied to archipelagos such as the Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Tonga, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. The Kermadec Islands, where the two largest earthquakes occurred, are part of New Zealand but are hundreds of kilometers from the coast. Initially, there was no information about possible damage or injuries. New Zealand has a population of just under five million people.
According to reports, the area’s first earthquake quake was felt that night, including the major cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. About two hours later, 60,000 people told the local monitoring system GeoNet that they felt the quake, according to the New Zealand Herald. “Hope everyone is well,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wrote on Instagram, especially those on the East Coast who must have felt the full force of the earthquake.
Just last month, New Zealand thought about the victims of the Christchurch earthquake ten years ago. On February 22, 2011, 185 people were killed in the largest city in the South Island. The magnitude of the earthquake was 6.2.
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