Tsunami hits New Zealand after massive quake

Pak cricket team players come out of hotel

WELLINGTON: An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck central New Zealand just after midnight, the US Geological Survey said, causing widespread damage and generating a tsunami.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management warned of the risk of destructive waves along the country’s entire east coast and urged residents in low-lying areas to evacuate and seek higher ground.

Waves of up to two metres (6 feet) could be possible for up to two hours, it said. The cricket teams both men and women of Pakistan are now visiting New Zealand. As the tremor hot New Zealand, the Pakistan cricket team players came out of their hotel.

Anna Kaiser, a seismologist at GNS Science said a tidal signal or surge of up to one metre (3 feet) had been recorded in North Canterbury region of the South Island.

"That's reasonably significant so people should take this seriously," she told Radio New Zealand. New Zealand´s Geonet revised up its estimated magnitude of the quake to 7.5, from 6.6 earlier. USGS said the quake was centred 91 km (57 miles) north-northeast of Christchurch, the biggest city on New Zealand´s South Island.