NEW ZEALAND EARTHQUAKE- TSUNAMI ARRIVES AFTER POWERFUL TREMOR HITS

NEW ZEALAND EARTHQUAKE- TSUNAMI ARRIVES AFTER POWERFUL TREMOR HITS

ന്യൂസിലാന്റില്‍ വന്‍ സുനാമി

The US Geological Survey said the magnitude-7.8 quake hit just after midnight (11:02 GMT on Sunday), some 95km (59 miles) from Christchurch.The tsunami arrived in the north-eastern coast about two hours later. Officials said the first waves may not be the largest, with tsunami activity possible for several hours.Residents were warned to head inland or for higher ground along the coast.A gauge at Kaikoura, 181 km (112 miles) north of Christchurch, measured a wave of two metres (6ft 5ins), according to Weatherwatch.co.nz.Smaller waves are said to be arriving in Wellington and other areas, the website said.

Residents in the Chatham Islands, an archipelago 423 miles (680km) south-east of the mainland, were also being warned a wave would hit imminently by the civil defence.

Thousands of people have already evacuated their homes as aftershocks continue to hit the area, Radio New Zealand reported.New Zealand lies on the notorious Ring of Fire, the line of frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim.Christchurch is still recovering from the 2011 earthquake that killed 185 people and destroyed the city centre.The Herald newspaper said the tremor was felt all the way to Wellington, where sirens sounded and people fled buildings into the streets, some of them crying.Early reports suggested some houses in Cheviot town, near the epicentre, have been damaged.

ന്യൂസിലാന്റില്‍ വന്‍ സുനാമി. 7.4 തീവ്രതയേറിയ ഭൂകമ്പത്തത്തുടര്‍ന്നാണ് വമ്പന്‍ തിരമാലകള്‍ ഉയര്‍ന്നത്. ക്രൈസ്റ്റ് ചര്‍ച്ചില്‍ നിന്ന് 57 മൈല്‍ അകലെയാണ് ഭൂകമ്പത്തിന്റെ പ്രഭവ കേന്ദ്രം.ഇന്ത്യന്‍ സമയം വൈകീട്ട് 6.30ഓടെയാണ് വന്‍തിരമാലകള്‍ ആഞ്ഞടിച്ചത്. കൂടുതല്‍ വിവരങ്ങള്‍ ലഭ്യമായിട്ടില്ല. ജനങ്ങളോട് ഉയര്‍ന്ന പ്രദേശങ്ങളിലേക്ക് മാറാന്‍ ന്യൂസിലാന്റ് പ്രതിരോധ വകുപ്പ് മുന്നറിയിപ്പ് നല്‍കി.2011ല്‍ ന്യൂസിലാന്റിലുണ്ടായ ഭൂകമ്പത്തില്‍ 185 പേര്‍ കൊല്ലപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നു.

Prof. John Kurakar