WELLINGTON, New Zealand—A powerful magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck in the ocean off the coast of New Zealand on Friday, prompting some evacuations and tsunami warnings across the South Pacific.
It was the second large quake to strike within hours. An offshore magnitude 7.3 quake had awoken many people during the night throughout New Zealand. While both quakes triggered warning systems, neither of them appeared to pose a widespread threat to lives or major infrastructure.
