No tsunami threat in PH after powerful earthquake off NZ

MANILA, Philippines — There is no tsunami threat in the Philippines following the earthquake that struck the Kermadec Islands region in New Zealand, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported Friday, March 5, 2021.

Phivolcs said the magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred in the region at 3:28 a.m. (Philippine time), with a depth of ten kilometers.

The agency said that while hazardous waves are possible for coasts located near the earthquake epicenter, there is no tsunami threat in the Philippines.

In New Zealand, communities along stretches of the North Island were warned to flee as tsunami alert sirens wailed after the strong quake, which followed earlier tremors in the same region measuring 7.4 and 7.3.