New Zealand earthquake: Magnitude 7.1 quake hits Kermadec Islands

Kermadec: A strong earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale struck the Kermadec Islands to the north of New Zealand on Thursday morning. According to the US Geological Survey, the shallow quake was estimated to have been at a depth of 10 km.

The US Tsunami Warning System said a tsunami was not expected after the powerful earthquake jolted the island. It tweeted, “Tsunami Info Stmt: M7.1 Kermadec Islands Region 1756PDT Mar 15: Tsunami NOT expected”

The National Emergency Management Agency said there was no tsunami threat for New Zealand following the earthquake. There is no tsunami threat to Australia, the country’s Bureau of Meteorology said in a tweet.

There is no tsunami threat to New Zealand following the M7.0 earthquake in the Southern Kermadec Islands.
Remember, if an earthquake is long or strong, get gone.
For more info about tsunami preparedness go to https://t.co/Gn7YO8831i

— National Emergency Management Agency (@NZcivildefence) March 16, 2023

The intensity of the earthquake can be measured by the fact that the quake that killed more than 50,000 in Turkey last month was measured 6.4 magnitude on the ricter scale. The tremors were so powerful that hundreds of buildings came down crumbling and thousands sustained injuries.

The New Zealand earthquake comes just a day after an earthquake of magnitude 4.7 on the Richter scale struck 263 km south-south-east of Hotan, China on Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported. Hotan is a major oasis town in southwestern Xinjiang, an autonomous region in Western China.