7.8 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes New Zealand; Tsunami Warning Issued

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook various regions of New Zealand at midnight on Monday local time, prompting local authorities to issue a tsunami warning for the country. There have been no reports yet on potential damages or casualties from the earthquake. According to Reuters, emergency services in New Zealand have warned that destructive waves up to five meters high threaten some coastal areas, and thousands of residents have evacuated to higher ground following the warning. Reuters quotes a civilian defense official from New Zealand stating that the first destructive waves have reached some areas of New Zealand, but it is currently impossible to comment on the consequences. The epicenter of the current earthquake in New Zealand has been identified as 91 kilometers from Christchurch on the eastern coast of the country, an area that previously experienced a devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquake in 2011, which left 185 dead. Rescue helicopters have been dispatched to the earthquake-affected areas to transport medical supplies and rescue survivors. Reuters reports that this earthquake and the aftershocks that occurred in the hours following have been felt in most parts of New Zealand, but no reports of fatalities from this earthquake have been transmitted yet. Reports of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in New Zealand come as news sources reported on Sunday about another powerful earthquake in northwestern Argentina. This earthquake, recorded at 8 AM local time at a depth of 62 kilometers, had a magnitude of 6.2, and no reports of potential damages from it have been transmitted yet.