New Zealand Revokes Tsunami Warnings, Refugees Can Return

JAKARTA - A small tsunami wave triggered by a series of earthquakes hit the east coast of New Zealand's North Island on Friday local time, causing residents in the area to flee to higher ground.

Previously, a warning called the potential tsunami height to reach 3 meters, after the strongest earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale.

However, as New Zealand's National Emergency Management (NEMA) announced that the biggest wave had passed, the threat level was lowered.

"All those who were evacuated can now return", the agency said.

Video footage posted on social media shows waves of water entering a marina in Northland and the East Cape region on the North Island.

Earlier on Friday, workers, students, and residents in areas such as Northland and the Bay of Plenty, on the north coast near Auckland, were alerted after three offshore quakes in less than eight hours triggered sirens and tsunami warnings.

An emergency warning was issued for all coastal areas around Auckland, a city of 1.7 million people, where people are being asked to stay away from the water's edge. There were no reports of damage or casualties from the earthquake.

The third and strongest earthquake hit the Kermadec Islands, northeast of New Zealand's North Island, on Friday morning, which came shortly after an earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale in the same region. Previously, an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale struck about 900 km (540 miles) away to the east of the North Island.

Linda Tatare, a resident of Anaura Bay, on the east coast of the North Island, said about 50 small communities went to higher ground in the morning.

"Everyone, and their dogs, are on the hill. We are safe. We can all see our property from here", Tatare told Reuters.

Scientists said Friday's series of earthquakes were caused by tectonic movements on the border of the Australian and Pacific plates, part of New Zealand's occupied Pacific Ring of Fire. A decade ago, an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale killed 185 people in the city of Christchurch on the South Island.