Evacuations were under way in New Zealand Friday after a tsunami warning was issued following a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake which struck before dawn off the east coast of the North Island. The shallow tremor was estimated at a depth of around 30 kilometres (18 miles) off the coast, some 167 kilometres from Gisborne, according to the US Geological Survey said. Local civil defence officials said it was now safe for Gisborne residents to return, but advised them to stay away from beaches, streams and estuaries, saying the tsunami threat had not entirely lifted. New Zealand’s civil defence organisation, responsible for the nation’s emergency management, said it had issued “a tsunami potential threat advisory in all New Zealand coastal areas”. The biggest earthquakes in the world since 1900 1/10 Chile 1960 (Magnitude: 9.5) 2010 AFP 2/10 Great Alaska Earthquake 1964 (Magnitude: 9.2) 3/10 Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra 2004 (Magnitude: 9.1) 4/10 Near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan 2011 (Magnitude: 9.0) 2011 IFRC 5/10 Kamchatka 1952 (Magnitude: 9.0) 6/10 Offshore Maule, Chile 2010 (Magnitude: 8.8) 2010 Getty Images 7/10 Off the Coast of Ecuador 1906 (Magnitude: 8.8) 8/10 Rat Islands, Alaska 1965 (Magnitude: 8.7) 9/10 Northern Sumatra, Indonesia 2005 (Magnitude: 8.6) 2005 Getty Images 10/10 Assam - Tibet 1950 (Magnitude: 8.6) 1/10 Chile 1960 (Magnitude: 9.5) 2010 AFP 2/10 Great Alaska Earthquake 1964 (Magnitude: 9.2) 3/10 Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra 2004 (Magnitude: 9.1) 4/10 Near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan 2011 (Magnitude: 9.0) 2011 IFRC 5/10 Kamchatka 1952 (Magnitude: 9.0) 6/10 Offshore Maule, Chile 2010 (Magnitude: 8.8) 2010 Getty Images 7/10 Off the Coast of Ecuador 1906 (Magnitude: 8.8) 8/10 Rat Islands, Alaska 1965 (Magnitude: 8.7) 9/10 Northern Sumatra, Indonesia 2005 (Magnitude: 8.6) 2005 Getty Images 10/10 Assam - Tibet 1950 (Magnitude: 8.6)

The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management and its scientific advisors were still assessing the severity of the tsunami threat.
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake occurs off the north east coast of North Island, New Zealand. A tsunami warning was issued after the earthquake, and waves of 0.3m have been reported near Gisborne.