New Zealand earthquakes: Tsunami warnings raised after series of quakes
- Published
New Zealanders have been told to move away from coastal areas of the North Island after three powerful earthquakes shook the region.
The national emergency agency warned of a tsunami threat with "unpredictable surges" expected along the east coast.
There were reports of chaos in some towns as hundreds of people tried to reach higher ground.
South Pacific islands have also been warned to prepare themselves for waves as high as 3m (10ft).
As yet there are no reports of any damage or dangerous wave surges as a result of the quake.
'Bumper to bumper' traffic
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern posted on Instagram: "Hope everyone is ok out there."
The three earthquakes all came during early hours at magnitudes of over seven.
The most powerful, at 8.1 magnitude, struck at around 08:30 (21:30 GMT) near the Kermadec Islands, 1000 km (621 miles) north-east of New Zealand.
While earlier tsunami warnings had been called off, the third quake prompted the National Emergency Management Agency to send out a new alert and tsunami sirens sounded in some areas.
We have issued a TSUNAMI WARNING for New Zealand coastal areas following the magnitude 8.1 earthquake near KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION. There is a LAND and MARINE TSUNAMI THREAT. An EMA will be issued to areas under land and marine tsunami threat.
— National Emergency Management Agency (@NZcivildefence) March 4, 2021
"People near coast from the Bay of Islands to Whangarei, from Matata to Tolaga Bay, and Great Barrier Island must move immediately to nearest high ground, out of all tsunami evacuation zones, or as far inland as possible," the agency said.
It said "strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges" were expected and the first wave may not be the largest. "Tsunami activity will continue for several hours and the threat is real until this warning is cancelled," the agency said.
Local media reported gridlock in towns such as Whangarei and Whakatane as people tried to flee their homes, schools and workplaces.
In nearby Ohope town, resident Leslie Peake was quoted by the New Zealand Herald as saying the traffic was "bumper to bumper" with "huge queues of people evacuating".
New Zealand's civil defence department have advised people to walk or cycle to avoid getting caught in traffic as they evacuate to higher ground.
Just last week, New Zealand marked the 10th anniversary of the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that destroyed parts of Christchurch in the south Island, killing 185 people.