No tsunami warning despite powerful quake in Southern Ocean

A strong magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit the open waters of the Southern Ocean near the Australian territory of Macquarie Island on Saturday, US monitors said. There were no immediate reports of damage.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center website said no tsunami alert had been issued.

The US Geological Survey reported the temblor occurred in the open ocean 110 kilometres (70 miles) southwest of Macquarie Island, Australia’s main sub-Antarctic territory. The quake hit at 11.30am New Zealand time (2330 GMT Friday).

The quake was centered some 755 kilometres (470 miles) southwest of New Zealand’s uninhabited Auckland Island and some 1,995 kilometres south of the New Zealand capital of Wellington. (AP)