Earthquake – A sigh of relief in New Zealand after a tsunami warning

Breath a sigh of relief in New Zealand: Thousands of people who have fled their homes are allowed to return. On Friday, the Civil Defense announced the issuance of a tsunami warning for large parts of the Pacific region, after the violent earthquake was lifted and the largest of its waves passed. However, you should stay away from the beaches and the sea. Previously, the country was rocked by three violent earthquakes, and tsunami warnings were issued with waves up to three meters high.

Initially, there was no information about possible damages or casualties. The Civil Protection Agency announced that it had detected tsunamis in several places along the coast. And three major earthquakes have already been recorded on Friday. The strongest earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.1, occurred near the Kramadec Islands, 800 km north-east of New Zealand’s North Island. Shortly afterwards, it was followed by another one with a force of 7.4 in the same area. Hours earlier, there were earthquakes measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale 100 km off the coast of the Gisborne region.

However, the Civil Defense continued to warn of strong and unusual currents and unpredictable floods. People can drown as a result. There is a danger to swimmers, surfers, fishermen, small boats, and anyone in or near the water near the shore.

The Pacific Tsunami Early Warning System (PTWC) warned of a tsunami after the earthquake. Residents of affected coastal areas have been asked to reach safety and monitor the situation closely. Emergency Management Minister Kiritapu Allan said people should stay in remote areas or in high altitude areas until everything is cleared up.

The tsunami 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, is part of New Zealand but hundreds of kilometers off the coast. According to reports, the area felt its first earthquake that night, including the major cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Just last month, New Zealand thought about the Christchurch earthquake victims ten years ago. On February 22, 2011, 185 people were killed in the largest city on the South Island. The quake measured 6.2 magnitude. (apa / dpa)