Lower risk of waves hitting NZ

Warning to keep away from beaches

Estimated times of tsunami following Samoa quake which struck at 6.48am this morning.

Tsunami in Samoa

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JOHN SELKIRK Zoom

The stench of rotting flesh is overpowering along the stretch of coast devastated by the Tsunami.

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LATEST: The risk of potentially damaging waves hitting coastal New Zealand appears to have abated this afternoon, but coastal residents are being urged to remain on alert.

The alert was activated here after an earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale hit near the islands of Samoa this morning, sparking a tsunami which killed dozens of people.

Many houses were wiped out and the death toll continues to rise.

Adrian Prowse from the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management said this afternoon the tsunami was always likely to arrive in New Zealand as a series of waves rather than a single one, and the alert was likely to remain in place into the evening.

Some regional Civil Defence centres have reported small waves hitting beaches late this morning and early afternoon, but there were no reports of the metre-high waves feared.

However, Mr Prowse said the message to coastal residents or people visiting coastal areas was to keep clear of beaches until further notice.

Energy from such large earthquakes could take up to a day to dissipate and he said there was no room for complacency.

Prowse said the waves which had been recorded here were smaller than anticipated and ''we're certainly not anticipating anything greater than a metre arriving in New Zealand''.

He said authorities were monitoring the situation and would be in a position to look at down-scaling the alert late this afternoon or this evening.

CIVIL DEFENCE CONGRATULATED

Civil Defence Minister John Carter has congratulated regional civil defence operations and coastal communities for their organisation and response to the tsunami warning issued this morning.

"While the initial tsunami hasn't caused damage in New Zealand, our preparedness for such events is vital," he said.

"Civil Defence remains on alert following reports of a second wave near Raoul Island and for any waves caused by aftershocks."

Mr Carter said as soon as the Wellington-based Civil Defence National Crisis Management Team received alerts, regional civil defence, police, emergency services and other core groups were warned about the possibility of a tsunami.

"Each region acted immediately to put into place the plan for their area, depending on the anticipated severity of the tsunami," he said.

"In Gisborne, for example, civil defence volunteers drove to low-lying beaches to alert residents."

Mr Carter said residents in coastal areas were still being urged to be mindful of sudden tidal surges and currents.

- NZPA