A magnitude 7.5 earthquake has struck the Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica, the United States Geological Survey says.
The quake struck at a depth of 10km at around 2.15pm on Friday.
The National Emergency Management Agency and GNS Science assessed that the tremor had not generated a tsunami that could affect New Zealand.
“Based on current information, the initial assessment is that the earthquake is unlikely to have caused a tsunami that will affect New Zealand.”
The earthquake was centred in one of the most isolated parts of the world. The nearest occupied territory was the Argentine town of Tolhuin, population 9879, in the province of Tierra del Fuego — 706.9 km away.
The nearest city, RÃo Grande, was another 90km further away.
The Drake Passage is a body of water located between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica.