A powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake has shaken waters near the Kermadec Islands. an archipelago north of New Zealand, i.eThe authorities reported. No damage or casualties from the earthquake have been reported so far.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), which monitors seismic activity worldwide, said the quake struck at 11:57 p.m. local time (10:57 GMT) and had its epicenter at a depth of 89 kilometers (55 miles). The closest locations to the earthquake’s epicenter are Hicks Bay, approximately 945 kilometers south of the event, and the town of ‘Ohonua, Tonga, approximately 671 kilometers northeast.
It is important to note that the Kermadec Islands, which lie between New Zealand and Tonga north of New Zealand’s main islands, They are uninhabited, except for personnel at the permanent base on Raoul Island. which has a weather and radio station.
New Zealand lies on the fault line between the Pacific and Oceanic tectonic plates of the Ring of Fire and is vulnerable to seismic activity. The country registers around 14,000 earthquakes per year, of which between 100 and 150 are strong enough to be felt.
dmr