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04 Mar 2021 | 01:52 PM UTC

New Zealand: FLASH: Magnitude-7.3 earthquake strikes in South Pacific Ocean off the coast of northeastern New Zealand at 0227 NZDT March 5.

FLASH: Magnitude-7.3 earthquake strikes in Pacific Ocean near northeastern New Zealand at 0227 NZDT March 5. Tsunami threat present.

Critical

Event

A magnitude-7.3 earthquake occurred in the South Pacific Ocean off the coast of northeastern North Island, New Zealand at about 0227 NZDT March 5. The epicenter was approximately 238 km (148 miles) east-northeast of Gisborne, New Zealand. The temblor has triggered a tsunami threat; dangerous tsunami waves are possible within 300 km (186 miles) of the epicenter.

This is a developing situation; additional information will be issued as warranted.

Advice

Move away from the immediate coastline; tsunamis can be long-duration events, and the threat may persist for hours. Vacate multistoried buildings or unreinforced structures in areas where strong shaking occurred; aftershocks could cause additional damage. Cellular networks may be overwhelmed; use text messaging if services are available. Due to the threat of landslides, seek updated information on road conditions before driving in hilly areas in the affected area.