Powerful quake off New Zealand triggers tsunami

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Powerful quake off New Zealand triggers tsunami

Associated Press, Updated: July 07, 2011 01:40 IST

New York: A powerful magnitude-7.8 earthquake rattled New Zealand's remote

Kermadec Islands in the Pacific Ocean, the US Geological Survey reported. A

local tsunami warning was issued.

The volcanic Kermadec Island peaks are a remote outpost that are generally

uninhabited aside from a weather station and a hostel for visiting New Zealand

scientists.

The 7:03 am Thursday (1903 GMT Wednesday) quake was 29.8 miles (48 kilometres)

deep, the USGS said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, a US agency, issued a warning for possible

tsunami damage in the Keramecs, Tonga and New Zealand. It said a tsunami

measured at 2.2 feet (0.68 metres) was measured at Raoul Island in the

Kermadecs.

The Kermadecs are about 570 miles (920 kilometres) south of Tonga, the nearest

major island, and are 736 miles (1185 kilometres) northeast of Auckland, New

Zealand.