Tsunami Warning After 7.8 Quake Off New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - The U.S. Geological Survey has issued a tsunami warning after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off New Zealand's western coast.

The USGS says the quake's epicenter was 100 miles (161 kilometers) west of Invercargill, off the west coast of New Zealand's South Island at a depth of 20.5 kilometers (33 kilometers).

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii sent an e-mail alert warning of a possible tsunami in New Zealand.

Police in the town of Tuatapere on South Island, where the earthquake was centered, say they have reports of minor cracks in buildings and stock falling from supermarket shelves. But they have received no reports of serious damage or injuries so far.

The quake was felt widely across the South Island.

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