New Zealand: Crisis Center's Media Release on Tsunami Alert

In a media release, the National Crisis Management Centre has said that New Zealand is monitoring the impacts of this morning’s major earthquake centred near Tonga, via its Foreign Affairs posts and country contacts. Also stated what that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Civil Defence and Emergency Management (MCDEM) will continue to monitor the situation and respond to needs arising. Civil Defence National Controller, Mike O’Leary, stressed the following:

“The eight-magnitude earthquake initiated a tsunami alert for countries in the immediate region but no official warning was issued for New Zealand and all tsunami warnings have now been cancelled. Information to date is that there are no reports of damage in Fiji, Niue, the Solomons, Tokelau and Rarotonga. Whilst electricity is out in Tonga, there are no reports of major damage at this time.”