New Zealand Has Been Hit By A Tsunami After A Magnitude-7.8 Earthquake
Authorities have warned people all along the country’s east coast to move to higher ground.
People evacuated from buildings in Wellington.
Ross Setford / AP
A tsunami has hit the east coast of New Zealand after a magnitude-7.8 earthquake rocked the South Island early on Monday morning.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck just after midnight local time, about 95 kilometers (59 miles) from the city of Christchurch.
So far, one casualty has been recorded, New Zealand Police said. It occurred in the coastal town of Kaikoura, which was hit particularly hard by the quake and aftershock.
Firefighters responded to a collapsed house near Kaikoura, pulling one person out of the rubble. Authorities suspect more casualties, though the numbers are not yet known.
USGS / Via earthquake.usgs.gov