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Auckland Harbor (archive image)
Photo: PAUL ELLIS / AFP
An 8.1 magnitude earthquake off New Zealand triggered a tsunami warning for large parts of the Pacific region on Thursday.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in the US state of Hawaii announced that waves up to three meters high can be expected on the coasts of the island state of Vanuatu and the French overseas territory of New Caledonia.
Smaller waves could even reach Japan, Russia, Mexico and the coast of South America.
According to the disaster control authority, three severe earthquakes were registered by morning (local time).
The strongest quake had a magnitude of 8.1 and occurred near the Kermadec Islands, about 800 kilometers northeast of the North Island of New Zealand.
Another 7.4 gauge in the same region followed shortly thereafter.
Hours earlier there were tremors of magnitude 7.1 around 100 kilometers off the coast of the Gisborne district.
New Zealand ordered the evacuation of coastal regions.
Inhabitants of the North Island who live near the coast are called upon to get out of the danger zone immediately, the national civil protection agency said.
The agency appealed to residents of Northland, East Cape and Great Barrier Island to move to higher regions or as far into the hinterland as possible.
Thousands are on the run, reported the New Zealand Herald newspaper.
The paper quoted a local resident: “I look out over the beautiful calm sea, and I hope nothing will come from there.
We have to wait."
Again and again violent earthquakes in New Zealand
Only three weeks ago, the New Zealand authorities had prepared for a possible tsunami, but then quickly gave the all-clear.
At that time, a magnitude 7.7 quake occurred in the Pacific around 415 kilometers east of New Caledonia.
No injuries or major damage were reported.
New Zealand is repeatedly hit by earthquakes.
One of the strongest in the recent past occurred in Christchurch in February 2011.
185 people were killed, around 10,000 houses were badly damaged, and the quake had massive economic consequences.
The number of victims could have been much higher, but New Zealand has long had strict regulations for earthquake-proof construction.
Houses must be constructed so that they do not collapse.
Two years later, Wellington, the country's capital, was also hit by a 6.6 magnitude earthquake.
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