Comment: This keeps happening. In the last couple of years, strong quakes have been occurring on or very close to significant anniversaries (from the point of view of the afflicted country)...


quake
Quake centred at 10km depth, about 178km from town of Gisborne, where people felt shaking

Authorities in New Zealand have issued a tsunami warning after a shallow, powerful earthquake struck off the country's north-eastern coast in the early hours of Friday.

The quake measured a preliminary 6.9 magnitude and was centered at a depth of 10km (six miles) approximately 178km north-east of the city of Gisborne, the US Geological Survey said. Residents of Gisborne reported light to moderate shaking, it said.

There were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties, but the New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency warned people who had felt a powerful tremor to move to higher ground, writing in a tweet:
"Anyone near the coast who felt a LONG or STRONG quake should MOVE IMMEDIATELY to the nearest high ground, or as far inland as you can."
The US Geological Survey initially pegged the quake at 7.3, then revised it down to 6.9. It said that the quake occurred at a depth of 10 km.

Tsunami waves were possible within 300km of the quake's epicentre, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said.

A magnitude 6.3 quake in 2011 hit the city of Christchurch, killing 185 people and destroying much of its downtown.