Tsunami alert after NZ earthquake

**A 7.8-magnitude earthquake has shaken New Zealand, prompting a tsunami warning for parts of the Pacific Ocean.**The quake struck off the south-west tip of New Zealand, 161km (100 miles) west of Invercargill at a depth of 33km (20 miles), the US Geological Survey said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a “non-expanding regional tsunami warning” for nearby areas.

There were no immediate reports of damage or any evidence that a tsunami had formed after the quake.

“An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines in the region near the epicentre within minutes to hours,” the warning centre said in a statement.

The quake was detected at 0922GMT (2122 local time), reports said.

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