7.1 magnitude earthquake hits New Zealand

Residents of a small community on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island have been asked to evacuate after a severe earthquake at sea. Civil defence authorities asked people in the Tolaga Bay area to leave their homes after a 7.1 quake struck 169km north-east of Gisborne.

sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">People in some coastal areas were told to go to higher ground. According to an emergency worker, the quake caused a tsunami but it has had no noticeable impact. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii tweeted that only a 21cm (8in) wave had been measured. US monitors said the quake occurred at 04:37 local time (16:37 GMT) at a depth of 19 kilometre.