Wellington: A Tsunami warning has been issued for coastal areas of New Zealand following the M8.0 earthquake in the northeastern coast on 4mar thu night.
According to an official statement by the National Emergency Management Agency, a Tsunami warning has been issued following the M8.0 earthquake north-east of New Zealand near the Kermadec Islands region.
Listen to local authorities
“Evacuation advice overrides the current Corona virus Alert Level requirements. Listen to local Civil Defence authorities and follow any instructions regarding evacuation of your area. If you are told to evacuate do not stay at home. Stay 2 metres away from others if you can and if it is safe to do.
“Hope everyone is ok out there – especially on the East Coast who would have felt the full force of that earthquake,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern posted on Instagram after the earthquake.
All people who evacuated can now return’
The largest waves have now passed, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said as it downgraded the threat level. “All people who evacuated can now return,” the agency said.
Video footage posted on social media showed surges of water entering a marina in Northland and on the North Island’s East Cape region.
Earlier on Friday, workers, students and residents in areas like Northland and Bay of Plenty, on the northern coast near Auckland, were put on alert after the three offshore earthquakes in less than eight hours triggered tsunami sirens and warnings.
An emergency alert was issued for all coastal areas around Auckland, a city of 1.7 million, where people were told to stay away from the water’s edge. There were no reports of damage or casualties from the quakes.
