Earthquake measuring 7.4 hits north of New Zealand

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter Scale rocked New Zealand on Sunday. The quake struck near the uninhabited Kermadec islands northeast of New Zealand, the US Geological Survey said as authorities monitored for signs of a tsunami. The earthquake struck at 10:55am (0425 IST) some 928 kilometres north-northeast of the New Zealand city of Tauranga in North Island at a depth of 34 km.

New Zealand's civil defence organisation said it was monitoring the situation and if a tsunami was generated it would take at least two hours to reach the country.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, "Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within 300 km of the epicentre along the coasts of the Kermadec islands."

New Zealand authorities say there is now no threat from a tsunami following a powerful 7.4 earthquake which struck near the uninhabited Kermadec islands north of the country, updating their earlier advice.

(With agency inputs)