Mass Evacuations In New Zealand After Powerful Quakes Spark Tsunami Alert
Warning sirens sounded across Noumea as authorities ordered evacuations amid fears that waves of up three metres (10 feet) were headed towards the French territory.
New Zealand was hit by three powerful earthquakes, triggering tsunami warnings on Friday. The Kermadec islands region which is around 1,000km from New Zealand was hit by an 8.1 magnitude earthquake.
Reuters
Warning sirens sounded across Noumea as authorities ordered evacuations amid fears that waves of up three metres (10 feet) were headed towards the French territory.
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What the #tsunami sirens sound like in #newzealand ?pic.twitter.com/HgNEMH5N7c
¡ª Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) March 4, 2021
"People must leave beach areas and stop all water activities, and should not pick their children up at schools to avoid creating traffic jams," emergency services spokesman Alexandre Rosignol told public radio.
3 very strong earthquakes have struck near New Zealand within 6 hours of one another. The 8.1 #earthquake has prompted a #Tsunami watch for Hawaii. The potential threat is still being evaluated there and for the west coast of North America by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. pic.twitter.com/yaaanJLw2M
¡ª Ed Piotrowski (@EdPiotrowski) March 4, 2021
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand was among those given an early morning wake-up.
"Hope everyone is ok out there -- especially on the East Coast who would have felt the full force of that earthquake," she posted on Instagram after the initial shake at 2:27 am.
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+ ? Sirens start to sound in New Zealand coasts warning the tsunami alert issued after more than 8 magnitude earthquake in the area few minutes agopic.twitter.com/ARs6ZHOD9g
¡ª igandean (@igandean) March 4, 2021
New Zealand experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity but Emergency Services Minister Kiri Allan said she had never before experienced such a strong sequence of earthquakes.
The US Geological Survey initially pegged the quake at 7.3, then revised it down to 6.9. It said that the quake occurred at a depth of 10 km (6 miles).
Tsunami waves were possible within 300 km of the quake's epicentre, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said.
Authorities have advised people in coastal areas to move immediately to high ground. "Anyone near the coast who felt a LONG or STRONG quake should MOVE IMMEDIATELY to the nearest high ground, or as far inland as you can," it further said.
There was no immediate report of damages. Meanwhile, New Zealand government's seismic monitor Geonet pegged the quake at a magnitude of 7.2 with a depth of 94 km (58 miles).
