After two consecutive powerful earthquakes of more than 7.0-magnitudes, now there was another earthquake of 8.1-magnitude struck in New Zealand.
Although the tsunami signal was given at the beginning, the country’s National Emergency Management Agency is slowly lowering the signal as the fear has subsided.
The quake struck at 8:27 am local time on Friday. Its epicenter was near the uninhabited island of Kermadec, about 1,000 km northeast of New Zealand.
A magnitude 8.1 earthquake shook the region shortly after the tsunami alert was lifted, as a result, tsunami alerts were issued newly in some areas.
Emergency alerts are sent to the public via mobile phones. A tsunami alert was issued. They were quickly told to leave the coastal areas and take refuge in a safe place.
The warning signal said, “Don’t stay at home. There is a possibility of a catastrophic tsunami.”
In the afternoon local time, however, the National Emergency Management Agency lowered the level of the tsunami warning signal. They called for “beach and sea threats” instead of “land and sea threats” due to earthquakes – which means there are no barriers for residents to return to their homes.
However, the warning added that strong currents and waves likely to continue for several hours due to the effects of strong earthquakes. The public has been advised to refrain from going to the beach, shore and river.
(Source: Online Desk)
