Raise a tsunami warning: Earthquake frightens New Zealand

Thursday 4 March 2021

Tsunami warning raised
Earthquake scares New Zealand

A violent earthquake measuring 7.1 struck New Zealand. The center was in the sea east of the North Island of New Zealand. According to reports, people were in shock across the region on Friday night (local time), including in the major cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

The New Zealand Herald reports that about two hours after the earthquake, 60,000 people reported to the local GeoNet monitoring system that they had felt the earthquake. Initially, however, no information was available about potential damages or injuries.

According to GeoNet information, the earthquake occurred approximately 100 kilometers off the coast of the Gisborne region at a depth of 94 kilometers. There were several minor aftershocks. The US Early Warning System had initially issued a tsunami warning within a radius of 300 km. But after a few hours, the authorities announced that the danger was over. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wrote on Instagram: “I hope everyone is well,” especially those on the east coast who must have felt the full force of the earthquake.

The New Zealand Civil Defense had asked residents of coastal areas to move to higher areas, the New Zealand Herald newspaper reported. Several people in the area drove by after the warnings. The Civil Protection Agency called on citizens to stay away from water and beaches and follow the news via radio, television and the Internet.

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.