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AUCKLAND (AFP, REUTERS) – A severe 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the eastern North Island of New Zealand on Friday (March 4), triggering a tsunami watch, and authorities advised people in some coastal areas that will immediately move to higher ground.
There were no immediate reports of damage, but the National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) said there were land and marine threats in some areas of the North Island’s east coast.
“Coastal flooding (flooding of land areas) is expected in areas under land and marine threat,” Nema said in a tweet.
The closest major city to the epicenter is Gisborne, with a population of approximately 35,500.
People near the coast from Cape Runaway to Tolaga Bay were told to evacuate.
Authorities said the first waves may have reached areas around the East Cape from Cape Runaway to Tolaga Bay around 3.34am local time.
They said that the tsunami activity will continue for several hours and that the threat must be considered real until the warning is canceled.
“I hope everyone is well, especially on the east coast, they would have felt the full force of that earthquake,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern posted on Instagram.
There was no tsunami threat in the capital Wellington and other regions, but civil defense authorities asked residents across the country to stay away from beaches and marine areas as there could be strong and unusual currents.
The United States Geological Survey said the earthquake struck 180 kilometers northeast of the city of Gisborne at 2.27 am (9.27 pm Singapore time).
The New Zealand government seismic monitor Geonet set it at a magnitude of 7.2 with a depth of 94 km.
More than 60,000 people reported feeling the earthquake on the GeoNet website, 282 described the shaking as “severe” and 75 said it was “extreme.”
Most others described it as light.
Aftershocks were still being recorded in the area.
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