Sidney, 16 June

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit an island chain to the northeast of New Zealand on Sunday.

The U.S. Geological Service reported the quake struck at 10:55 a.m. local time 103 km northeast of L'Esperance Rock, an uninhabited island which forms part of the Kermadec Islands, the northernmost part of New Zealand.

The quake struck at a depth of 34.4 kilometers, according to the USGS.

A tsunami warning was initially issued but was canceled with the New Zealand Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management saying "the initial assessment is that the earthquake is unlikely to have caused a tsunami that will pose a threat to New Zealand.

Kyodo