Tsunami warning for South Pacific region after 7.7 magnitude earthquake
Sydney/IBNS: A Tsunami generated after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake shook the South Pacific region has put the island nations in the area under threat.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck 415 kilometres east of Vao in New Caledonia at a depth of 10 kilometres ust after midnight on Thursday local time (1320 GMT Wednesday), reported AFP.
The US government's NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued "hazardous tsunami waves" warning for some coasts, the report added.
Island nations Fiji, New Zealand and Vanuatu could face waves reaching between 0.3 and one metre above the tide level, the forecast said.
The AFP report citing theTwitter feed of Fiji's seismology department said a wave of 0.3 metres struck the island nation, sharing no further details.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology also confirmed that a Tsunami had been generated and issued a Tsunami warning for Lord Howe Island, which is about 550 kilometres east of mainland Australia.
TSUNAMI CONFIRMED. Observation - Norfolk Is at 2:15am AEDT. MARINE THREAT warning for LORD HOWE ISLAND. Issued by JATWC 3:01 AM AEDT Thu 11 Feb 2021. Tsunami affecting marine area commencing after 2:45 am AEDT Thu, persisting for several hours Warnings at: https://t.co/cuhd1HTN87 pic.twitter.com/KtL1fMMoyh
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) February 10, 2021
The New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency released a statement asking people to move away from areas next to water bodies, sea, river or lakes.
"We expect New Zealand coastal areas to experience strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake," the disaster agency said, according to the AFP report.
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