Tsunami warning raised: New Zealand has been hit by several violent earthquakes

New Zealand has experienced several strong tremors. The strongest earthquake, measuring 8.1, occurred 800 km off the coast. Meanwhile, tsunami warnings were issued in large parts of the Pacific region.

After the violent earthquake off New Zealand, the authorities reduced the tsunami warning for large parts of the Pacific region. The Civil Defense announced the end of the largest waves, and all people who had previously been transported to safety were able. However, you should stay away from the beaches and the sea.

Three major earthquakes have been recorded in the past. 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.

Residents of affected coastal areas have been asked to reach safety and monitor the situation closely. The Civil Protection Agency has appealed to residents of Northland, the East Cape and Great Barrier Island to move to higher or more remote areas as possible. Thousands are on the run, the New Zealand Herald reported. “I look at the beautiful calm sea and hope nothing comes from there. We have to wait,” the newspaper quoted a local resident.

Waves of one to three meters high are expected

The Pacific Tsunami Early Warning System (PTWC) has warned of a potential tsunami. Experts predicted wave heights from one to three meters. 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, is part of New Zealand but hundreds of kilometers off the coast. Initially, there was no information about possible damages or casualties.

According to reports, the area felt its first earthquake that night, including the major cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Almost two hours later, 60,000 people reported to the local GeoNet monitoring system that they had felt the earthquake, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Memories of the Christchurch earthquakes

“I hope everyone is fine,” 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 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.