An earthquake of magnitude 7 struck the Kermadec Islands region of New Zealand on Thursday around 6.25 am IST.
According to the USGS, the quake was at a depth of 10 km and the agency in a separate statement said that hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located with 300 km of the epicentre.
A tsunami warning was issued by the US Tsunami Warning System for nearby, uninhabited islands in a 300-km radius. However, the National Emergency Management Agency said there was no tsunami threat for New Zealand following the earthquake.
"There is no tsunami threat to New Zealand following the M7.0 earthquake in the Southern Kermadec Islands. Remember, if an earthquake is long or strong, get gone. For more info about tsunami preparedness go to," the agency tweeted.
There is no threat to Australia, said the Bureau of Meterology.
New Zealand is prone to earthquakes because it sits on the boundary of two major tectonic plates, the Pacific Plate and the Australian Plate. It is also on the outskirts of the Ring of Fire, a zone of intense seismic activity. Thousands of earthquakes strike New Zealand each year.
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