Tsunami hits New Zealand east coast after 7.5-magnitude earthquake

A tsunami has struck New Zealand’s east coast after a powerful earthquake hit the South Island just after midnight.

New Zealand civil defence said the first wave had hit the South Island and warned that more could reach the coast in the hours ahead.

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It advised anyone near the shoreline to move to higher ground immediately. The evacuation zone quickly expanded to include the eastern coast of the North Island, including Wellington.

The US Geological Survey said the magnitude-7.5 quake hit 59 miles (95km) from Christchurch, which is still recovering from the 2011 earthquake that killed 185 people and destroyed many buildings.

According to the New Zealand Herald, people from as far away as Wellington and Dunedin felt the quake. It said sirens could be heard in Wellington and that “people are on the street



crying”.

Civil defence issued a tsunami warning for the entire east coast and said it was “assessing [the] situation with assistance of scientific advisers and civil defence groups”.

It said the first wave had already hit the coast of the South Island although more waves may follow for several hours.

There have been no reports of fatalities or serious injuries at this stage although many houses, roads and bridges have been damaged.

Hurunui District’s deputy mayor, Marie Black, who lives in the earthquake epicentre, told the New Zealand Herald she had been asleep when the first tremor hit.

“We live about halfway between Hanmer Springs and Christchurch and it was a significant shake. I have felt several aftershocks and it is very unnerving.”

There had been reports from local residents that buildings were damaged and water tanks had been shaken loose, she said.

New Zealand lies on the notorious Ring of Fire, the line of frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim.