Prime Minister Scott Morrison said while he had requested the review, he could also understand why Italy made the decision.
"In Italy, people are dying at the rate of 300 a day. And so I can certainly understand the high level of anxiety that would exist in Italy and in many countries across Europe," he said.
Australia's Finance Minister Simon Birmingham told Sky News: "The world is in unchartered territory at present - it's unsurprising that some countries would tear up the rule book."
The president of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Omar Khorshid, told the BBC "it was disappointing to see this vaccine nationalism rearing its head".
There has been no official comment on the Italian move by the EU or AstraZeneca.
What does Italy say?
Last week, the Italian government told the European Commission it intended to block the shipment from its plant in Anagni, near Rome.
In a statement on Thursday, the foreign ministry explained the move, saying it had received the request for authorisation on 24 February.
It said that previous requests had been given the green light as they included limited numbers of samples for scientific research, but the latest one - being much larger - was rejected.
Italy said Australia was not on a list of "vulnerable" countries, that there was a permanent shortage of vaccines in the EU and Italy, and that the number of doses was high compared to the amount given to Italy and to the EU as a whole.
What about the rest of the EU?
France's Health Minister, Olivier Véran, has told BFM TV France could potentially do the same thing with the vaccines being made there.
Jens Spahn, Germany's health minister, has said drug makers must honour their contracts to EU countries, but has not seen any reason to block shipments to other countries so far. AstraZeneca is not produced in Germany, but some of the final product is bottled there.
EU media was fast to comment on the move.
Italy's Corriere della Sera said the move was decided together with Europe and motivated by the "plight of the desperate".
"Australia is angry with Italy's vaccine blockade," said Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
"The relations between the European Commission and the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca could not be thornier," Spain's ABC daily said.
In Poland, the Onet.pl news portal said the European Commission could have overruled Italy's export ban, "but it did not dare do so".
Why is there a row with AstraZeneca?
The EU signed a deal with AstraZeneca in August for 300 million doses, with an option for 100 million more, but earlier this year the UK-Swedish company reported production delays at plants in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Instead of receiving 100 million doses by the end of March, the EU is now expected to get just 40 million.
The EU accused the company of reneging on its deal, with EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides saying that UK factories making the vaccine should make up the shortfall.
Ms Kyriakides also rejected AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot's characterisation of the contract as one of "best effort" rather than an obligation to meet a deadline for delivery of vaccines.
As a result of the row, the EU announced export controls which began on 30 January, known as the "transparency and authorisation mechanism".
Italy has become the first EU country to call on the guidelines and block the Australian shipment.
What's the latest with Australia's vaccine rollout?
Scott Morrison hopes four million Australians will have been vaccinated by the end of March.
EPA
Australia has a contract with AstraZeneca to receive 53.8m doses of the vaccine. About 3.8m of those will be imported from overseas.
It has already been sent 300,000 doses, which the government says will last until late March, when it will begin making its own AstraZeneca vaccines domestically.
The Pope has arrived in Iraq for an historic weekend visit which carries both symbolism and risk.
With a message of inter-faith tolerance, Francis will spend four days in Iraq in what is his first foreign trip in more than a year and the first-ever papal pilgrimage to the war-hit nation.
Francis, who wore a facemask during the flight, kept it on as he descended the stairs to the tarmac and was greeted by two masked children in traditional dress.
Image:The Pope has arrived in Iraq as the country continues to deal with coronavirus cases
Image:Pope Francis walks down the steps of an airplane as he arrives at Baghdad International Airport
Image:The pontiff was welcomed by two children in traditional dress
A red carpet was rolled out at Baghdad International Airport with prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on hand to greet the pontiff.
A largely unmasked choir sang songs as the Pope and Mr al-Kadhimi made their way to a welcome area in the airport.
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The Pope has since been welcomed to Iraq's presidential palace by the country's president Barham Salih.
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A motorcade escorts Pope Francis during his historic tour in Baghdad.
The Pope will also visit the holy city of Najaf in the south, the ancient birthplace of Abraham at Ur and Mosul in the north, which became the capital of the so-called Islamic State (IS) in 2014 until its defeat in 2017.
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Iraqis have been keen to welcome him and the global attention his visit will bring, with banners and posters hanging high in central Baghdad, and billboards depicting Francis with the slogan "We are all Brothers" decorating the main thoroughfare.
Image:A gust of wind blows Pope Francis's mantle as he stands by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi
Image:Pope Francis is received by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi
Image:Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi walks with Pope Francis upon his arrival at Baghdad International Airport
In a video address before leaving the Vatican, the Pope said: "I have greatly desired to meet you, to see your faces and to visit your country, an ancient and outstanding cradle of civilization.
"I am coming as a pilgrim, as a penitent pilgrim, to implore from the Lord forgiveness and reconciliation after years of war and terrorism, to beg from God the consolation of hearts and the healing of wounds."
In Mosul, which was liberated from the Islamic State by the Iraqi military in 2017, the Pope will hold a vigil in Hosh al Bieaa (Church Square) where he will pray for the victims of war.
He will then head east to the town of Qaraqosh for a Sunday service of prayer and remembrance at the Immaculate Conception Church.
The church was one particular focus for the Islamic State's widespread barbarism.
Image:Mr Al-Kadhimi, right, welcomed Pope Francis to the Middle Eastern country
Image:The Pope has been welcomed to Iraq's presidential palace by the country's president Barham Salih
IS followers used the church courtyard as a firing range. Furniture, statues, bibles and prayer books were also burnt in the courtyard and a black mark on the ground marks the spot where the desecration took place.
Before the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, an estimated 1.5 million Christians lived in the country.
Today, only about 200,000 remain, the rest have been driven out by sectarian violence.
Reconciliation between Christians and Muslims is a key message and the Pope will hold inter-religious meetings on Saturday at Ur.
Image:Iraqi President Barham Salih and Pope Francis attend a welcoming ceremony at the presidential palace
Image:Iraqis have been keen to welcome the pontiff to Baghdad
The archaeological site is thought to be the birthplace of Abraham, the patriarch of the three monotheistic faiths - Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
Among the most symbolic moments will be a meeting with Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, the spiritual leader for millions of Shia Muslims and one of the world's most influential Islamic scholars.
The two elderly men - the Pope is 84 and the Grand Ayatollah is 90 - will pray together in the holy city of Najaf. It is thought to be the first ever encounter between a pope and an Iraqi grand ayatollah.
Image:The pontiff is visiting Baghdad during a fresh wave of coronavirus cases
Image:The pontiff will visit the holy city of Najaf in the south of the country
The whole trip has been in jeopardy because of the dual threat of sectarian violence and the coronavirus pandemic.
Six weeks ago, two suicide bombers detonated bombs at a busy market in Baghdad killing at least 32 people. It was the first large-scale attack in the country for three years.
Followers of the Islamic State, who remain active in the country, are thought to have been responsible.
And this week, one person died after rockets hit a military base used by American forces west of Baghdad.
Militia aligned to Iran are likely to have been responsible - a retaliation for a US strike on Iranian militia targets along the Iraqi-Syrian border.
The coronavirus pandemic continues to hit Iraq hard with the country experiencing a new wave of cases.
Data from Wednesday showed 5,173 new cases with a seven day average of 4,095 cases a day. At least 13,000 people are known to have died after contracting the virus.
Image:The Pope will visit the city of Mosul which was the capital of the so-called Islamic State
The Iraqi government has imposed new lockdowns and the Vatican's own ambassador to Iraq, Archbishop Mitja Leskovar, announced on Sunday that he had contracted the virus.
But Vatican officials say the Pope has been determined that the trip should go ahead.
Francis has received a vaccine and the entourage of officials and journalists traveling with him have also been vaccinated.
Iraqi authorities say they are confident that the risks can be managed. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni described the visit as safe and socially distanced.
My dear Christian brothers and sisters from #Iraq, who have testified to your faith in Jesus amid harsh sufferings: I cannot wait to see you. I am honoured to encounter a Church of martyrs: thank you for your witness! https://t.co/bgm76p31tM
"All the precautions have been taken from a health point of view... The best way to interpret the journey is as an act of love; it's a gesture of love from the Pope to the people of this land who need to receive it," Mr Bruni told reporters before leaving Vatican City.
The Pope will hold a mass in a football stadium in the Iraqi-Kurdish city of Erbil on Sunday and concern remains about how spontaneous crowds can be prevented from gathering at all the events.
Iraq only received its first batch of vaccines four days ago, with 50,000 doses of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine donated by the Chinese government arriving on Monday.
The country has also agreements to receive vaccines in due course from AstraZeneca and Pfizer.
Image:The church in Qaraqosh was a focus for the Islamic State's widespread barbarism
Analysis: This is a poignant trip for Christian communities who have suffered so much
By Mark Stone, Middle East correspondent
"We are all brothers" - the motto for this rather extraordinary papal visit to Iraq.
The words, from Matthew's gospel, represent the central message the Pope wishes to carry with him on a trip that is full of symbolism and solidarity but jeopardy too.
With sectarian violence a continued danger across Iraq and coronavirus cases again on the rise, it's fair to wonder, why now?
Aside from the officials and journalists within the papal bubble, almost no one who encounters the Pope on this trip, or mixes with other faithful followers at his various events, will have received a vaccine.
And the separate headache for the papal security detail doesn't bare thinking about.
Nevertheless the trip has gone ahead. Pope Francis was determined it would.
The only other time a Pope tried to visit Iraq (John Paul II in 2000), a diplomatic falling out between the Vatican and then-President Saddam Hussein put a stop to it.
"The people cannot be let down for a second time. Let us pray that this trip can be carried out well," Pope Francis said as he prepared for the visit.
Inter-faith solidarity and fraternity is a key focus for this Pope at a time when polarisation between religions is increasing especially across the Middle East.
On Saturday, the 84-year-old pontiff will meet another elderly man - Iraq's Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani.
The 90-year-old Shia cleric is one of the world's most influential Islamic scholars.
Image:The pope will visit the Immaculate Conception Church in Qaraqosh
Two years ago, Francis was in Cairo for interfaith prayers and talks with Sunni Islam's leading clerics, the grand imam of Cairo's al Azhar mosque, Sheikh Ahmed al Tayeb.
The papal aspiration under Francis is a broad interfaith communion. He is being criticised for irresponsible timing but his people insist precautions for everyone are in place.
The trip strikes a particular poignancy for the Christian communities who suffered so much, so recently, at the hands of ISIS.
Other minorities suffered as well, of course - the Yazidis particularly, and Muslims too; anyone who didn't buy into the Islamic State's warped doctrine.
It's remarkable that he will visit sites of such recent brutality. Remember the beheadings? The cages where people were burnt alive?
For communities of faith who lived through this, the visit will have real meaning.
Persecution of minority groups like Christians in Iraq didn't begin with the Islamic State.
Over the past 20 years, the Christian population in Iraq has shrunk by 80% according to US State Department analysis.
An Iraqi census carried out in 1997 concluded that there were 1.4 million Christians in the country. Today there are less than 250,000.
The Pope has arrived in Iraq for an historic weekend visit which carries both symbolism and risk.
With a message of inter-faith tolerance, Francis will spend four days in Iraq in what is his first foreign trip in more than a year and the first-ever papal pilgrimage to the war-hit nation.
Francis, who wore a facemask during the flight, kept it on as he descended the stairs to the tarmac and was greeted by two masked children in traditional dress.
Image:The Pope has arrived in Iraq as the country continues to deal with coronavirus cases
Image:Pope Francis walks down the steps of an airplane as he arrives at Baghdad International Airport
A red carpet was rolled out at Baghdad International Airport with prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on hand to greet the pontiff.
A largely unmasked choir sang songs as the Pope and Mr al-Kadhimi made their way to a welcome area in the airport.
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The Pope will visit the capital city Baghdad, the holy city of Najaf in the south, the ancient birthplace of Abraham at Ur and Mosul in the north, which became the capital of the so-called Islamic State (IS) in 2014 until its defeat in 2017.
Iraqis have been keen to welcome him and the global attention his visit will bring, with banners and posters hanging high in central Baghdad, and billboards depicting Francis with the slogan "We are all Brothers" decorating the main thoroughfare.
More from UK
Image:The pontiff's cassock was blowing in the wind as he disembarked the aircraft
Image:Pope Francis is received by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi
In a video address before leaving the Vatican, the Pope said: "I have greatly desired to meet you, to see your faces and to visit your country, an ancient and outstanding cradle of civilization.
"I am coming as a pilgrim, as a penitent pilgrim, to implore from the Lord forgiveness and reconciliation after years of war and terrorism, to beg from God the consolation of hearts and the healing of wounds."
In Mosul, which was liberated from the Islamic State by the Iraqi military in 2017, the Pope will hold a vigil in Hosh al Bieaa (Church Square) where he will pray for the victims of war.
He will then head east to the town of Qaraqosh for a Sunday service of prayer and remembrance at the Immaculate Conception Church.
The church was one particular focus for the Islamic State's widespread barbarism.
Image:Mr Al-Kadhimi, right, welcomed Pope Francis to the Middle Eastern country
Image:A motorcade has escorted Pope Francis during his historic tour
Image:Iraqis have been keen to welcome the pontiff to Baghdad
IS followers used the church courtyard as a firing range. Furniture, statues, bibles and prayer books were also burnt in the courtyard and a black mark on the ground marks the spot where the desecration took place.
Before the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, an estimated 1.5 million Christians lived in the country.
Today, only about 200,000 remain, the rest have been driven out by sectarian violence.
Reconciliation between Christians and Muslims is a key message and the Pope will hold inter-religious meetings on Saturday at Ur.
The archaeological site is thought to be the birthplace of Abraham, the patriarch of the three monotheistic faiths - Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
Among the most symbolic moments will be a meeting with Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, the spiritual leader for millions of Shia Muslims and one of the world's most influential Islamic scholars.
The two elderly men - the Pope is 84 and the Grand Ayatollah is 90 - will pray together in the holy city of Najaf. It is thought to be the first ever encounter between a pope and an Iraqi grand ayatollah.
Image:The pontiff is visiting Baghdad during a fresh wave of coronavirus cases
Image:The pontiff will visit the holy city of Najaf in the south of the country
The whole trip has been in jeopardy because of the dual threat of sectarian violence and the coronavirus pandemic.
Six weeks ago, two suicide bombers detonated bombs at a busy market in Baghdad killing at least 32 people. It was the first large-scale attack in the country for three years.
Followers of the Islamic State, who remain active in the country, are thought to have been responsible.
And this week, one person died after rockets hit a military base used by American forces west of Baghdad.
Militia aligned to Iran are likely to have been responsible - a retaliation for a US strike on Iranian militia targets along the Iraqi-Syrian border.
The coronavirus pandemic continues to hit Iraq hard with the country experiencing a new wave of cases.
Data from Wednesday showed 5,173 new cases with a seven day average of 4,095 cases a day. At least 13,000 people are known to have died after contracting the virus.
Image:The Pope will visit the city of Mosul which was the capital of the so-called Islamic State
The Iraqi government has imposed new lockdowns and the Vatican's own ambassador to Iraq, Archbishop Mitja Leskovar, announced on Sunday that he had contracted the virus.
But Vatican officials say the Pope has been determined that the trip should go ahead.
Francis has received a vaccine and the entourage of officials and journalists traveling with him have also been vaccinated.
Iraqi authorities say they are confident that the risks can be managed. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni described the visit as safe and socially distanced.
My dear Christian brothers and sisters from #Iraq, who have testified to your faith in Jesus amid harsh sufferings: I cannot wait to see you. I am honoured to encounter a Church of martyrs: thank you for your witness! https://t.co/bgm76p31tM
"All the precautions have been taken from a health point of view... The best way to interpret the journey is as an act of love; it's a gesture of love from the Pope to the people of this land who need to receive it," Mr Bruni told reporters before leaving Vatican City.
The Pope will hold a mass in a football stadium in the Iraqi-Kurdish city of Erbil on Sunday and concern remains about how spontaneous crowds can be prevented from gathering at all the events.
Iraq only received its first batch of vaccines four days ago, with 50,000 doses of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine donated by the Chinese government arriving on Monday.
The country has also agreements to receive vaccines in due course from AstraZeneca and Pfizer.
Image:The church in Qaraqosh was a focus for the Islamic State's widespread barbarism
Analysis: This is a poignant trip for Christian communities who have suffered so much
By Mark Stone, Middle East correspondent
"We are all brothers" - the motto for this rather extraordinary papal visit to Iraq.
The words, from Matthew's gospel, represent the central message the Pope wishes to carry with him on a trip that is full of symbolism and solidarity but jeopardy too.
With sectarian violence a continued danger across Iraq and coronavirus cases again on the rise, it's fair to wonder, why now?
Aside from the officials and journalists within the papal bubble, almost no one who encounters the Pope on this trip, or mixes with other faithful followers at his various events, will have received a vaccine.
And the separate headache for the papal security detail doesn't bare thinking about.
Nevertheless the trip has gone ahead. Pope Francis was determined it would.
The only other time a Pope tried to visit Iraq (John Paul II in 2000), a diplomatic falling out between the Vatican and then-President Saddam Hussein put a stop to it.
"The people cannot be let down for a second time. Let us pray that this trip can be carried out well," Pope Francis said as he prepared for the visit.
Inter-faith solidarity and fraternity is a key focus for this Pope at a time when polarisation between religions is increasing especially across the Middle East.
On Saturday, the 84-year-old pontiff will meet another elderly man - Iraq's Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani.
The 90-year-old Shia cleric is one of the world's most influential Islamic scholars.
Image:The pope will visit the Immaculate Conception Church in Qaraqosh
Two years ago, Francis was in Cairo for interfaith prayers and talks with Sunni Islam's leading clerics, the grand imam of Cairo's al Azhar mosque, Sheikh Ahmed al Tayeb.
The papal aspiration under Francis is a broad interfaith communion. He is being criticised for irresponsible timing but his people insist precautions for everyone are in place.
The trip strikes a particular poignancy for the Christian communities who suffered so much, so recently, at the hands of ISIS.
Other minorities suffered as well, of course - the Yazidis particularly, and Muslims too; anyone who didn't buy into the Islamic State's warped doctrine.
It's remarkable that he will visit sites of such recent brutality. Remember the beheadings? The cages where people were burnt alive?
For communities of faith who lived through this, the visit will have real meaning.
Persecution of minority groups like Christians in Iraq didn't begin with the Islamic State.
Over the past 20 years, the Christian population in Iraq has shrunk by 80% according to US State Department analysis.
An Iraqi census carried out in 1997 concluded that there were 1.4 million Christians in the country. Today there are less than 250,000.
China's top law-making body has unveiled plans to ensure only "patriots" can govern Hong Kong, as Beijing tightens its grip on the city with changes to the electoral system.
Premier Li Keqiang, addressing the National People's Congress (NPC), warned the world not to interfere.
The move follows the imposition of a tough security law.
Critics say Beijing is crushing dissent and removing the "one country, two systems" agreement it made with the UK.
Under the agreement, Hong Kong, a former British colony, was allowed to continue with its own legal system and have rights including free speech and freedom of the press.
Fears that this was being eroded led to huge pro-democracy protests in 2019. Some turned violent and Beijing imposed the National Security Law, which it said would target "sedition" and bring stability.
Thousands of lawmakers have gathered for the annual NPC meeting in Beijing. The rubber-stamp parliament is expected to also discuss and approve economic growth targets and environmental policies from the central government.
What's planned for Hong Kong?
NPC vice-chairman Wang Chen announced to the NPC that changes were needed as "the rioting and turbulence that occurred in Hong Kong society reveals that the existing electoral system has clear loopholes and deficiencies". He said "risks in the system" needed to be removed to ensure "patriots" were in charge.
Premier Li warned that China would "resolutely guard against and deter" interference by external forces in Hong Kong's affairs.
The week-long NPC will discuss the elections issue and no text has yet been made public, although Mr Wang and media sources did set out some areas to be discussed.
The city's heavily pro-Beijing electoral committee would get new powers over the parliament, or Legislative Council (LegCo).
The committee would effectively be able to vet all LegCo candidates and elect many of its members, diluting the number directly elected by the public.
Willie Lam, China analyst at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told the AFP news agency that if the new NPC measures passed as he expected they would, "then the voice of the opposition will be effectively silenced. This will effectively wipe out any remaining opposition".
It's kind of incredible that the Chinese government felt the need to change what was already an electoral system heavily rigged in favour of the pro-Beijing camp.
With only half the members of the territory's mini parliament directly elected, and the other half installed by political allies, why the change?
What must have spooked the Communist Party was the drubbing handed to them at the hands of pro-democracy candidates at the most recent district council elections - with those advocating democratic reform taking control of all but one municipality.
Now, after the coming electoral "rebuild" is ushered in - and it will be, given that it has been introduced to the rubber-stamp National People's Congress process - there won't be even the pretence of democratic elections in Hong Kong.
An election committee - controlled by Beijing - will not only screen all candidates standing in elections, but also directly appoint "a large proportion" of the Legislative Council.
It will be almost impossible for any candidate advocating democratic change to be elected to office - and that's the way China's senior leadership likes it.
How has the pro-democracy campaign been targeted?
The Basic Law, agreed with the UK before the return of sovereignty in 1977, allowed for an "ultimate aim" of universal suffrage. But the NPC in 2004 ruled the territory's leader, or chief executive, and LegCo members could not be chosen by the public in a direct vote.
Scores of arrests have been made. Last week, 47 pro-democracy activists were charged with "subversion" under the new law and could face life in prison.
They were involved in preparations for last year's LegCo elections, which the government then postponed.
Getty Images
What is the NPC and what will it do?
The annual meeting has nearly 3,000 delegates representing provinces, autonomous regions, and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
While the NPC in theory is the country's most powerful institution, in reality the lawmakers usually end up approving plans and policies decided beforehand by the central government.
Over the next few days, the congress will also formally approve the 14th Five-Year-Plan - the economic strategy for the country.
The country's success in dealing with Covid is also set to feature large. The pandemic is largely under control, and for the majority of people, life has gone back to normal.
President Xi Jinping is also likely to highlight China's achievement in "eradicating absolute poverty" - something the country announced last week.
People fleeing to higher ground above Papamoa Beach, New Zealand, after the tsunami was issued (Picture: AP)
Tsunami warnings were triggered across the South Pacific following one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the region in modern history.
The magnitude 8.1 quake in the Kermadec Islands region about 620 miles from New Zealand’s two main islands was the largest in a series of tremors over several hours, including two earlier quakes that registered magnitude 7.4 and magnitude 7.3.
Small tsunami waves were seen, but the threat caused traffic jams and some chaos in New Zealand as people scrambled to get to higher ground.
Residents recorded videos of small wave surges in some places, including at Tokomaru Bay near Gisborne.
In the afternoon, the National Emergency Management Agency said the threat had passed and people could return to their homes, although they should continue avoiding beaches.
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One of the earlier quakes hit much closer to New Zealand and awoke many people as they felt a long, rumbling shaking.
‘Hope everyone is ok out there,’ New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wrote on Facebook during the night.
After the largest quake, civil defence authorities in New Zealand told people in some coastal areas to immediately get to higher ground, warning a damaging tsunami was possible, and waves could reach up to three metres.
The earthquake was described as the most powerful to strike the region in modern history (Picture: AP)
There were traffic jams like this one in Whangarei, New Zealand, as people escaped to higher ground (Picture: Rex Shutterstock)
Emergency Management Minister Kiri Allan told reporters that people had followed the advisory.
‘They felt the long or strong earthquakes and they knew to grab their bag and head into the highlands,’ she said.
‘I can only thank and acknowledge the tireless efforts of the men and women from up and down the coast who knew how to act, when to act, and what to do.’
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre cautioned the quake could cause tsunami waves of up to three meters in Vanuatu and up to one metre in Tonga, other South Pacific islands and Latin America’s Pacific coast.
People were soon told that the danger had passed and they could returned to their homes (Picture: Rex Shutterstock)
There has been a lot of seismic activity in the area recently
Chilean authorities ordered people off beaches due to the potential for a tsunami along the nation’s long coastline. Guatemala issued a tsunami alert, and authorities in El Salvador ordered people to take precautions in recreational activities.
The US Geological Survey said the strongest quake was centred near the Kermadec Islands at a depth of 12 miles.
The agency said in a report that the quake occurred at the intersection of the Pacific and Australia tectonic plates and eclipsed the largest quake previously recorded in the region, a magnitude 8.0 in 1976.
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It said the interaction between the plates creates one of the most seismically active regions in the world, and it has recorded 215 quakes there above magnitude 6.0 over the past century.
Jennifer Eccles, an earthquake expert at the University of Auckland, said the quake was at the top end of the scale for those involving only the Earth’s ocean crust.
‘This is about as big as it gets,’ she said.
She said most quakes larger than magnitude 8.0 tend to occur when a section of more robust continental crust is involved.
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