Magnitude 7.4 earthquake hits islands off New Zealand, no tsunami threat

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck an arc of islands off New Zealand on Sunday, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it may cause only minor sea level changes in some coastal areas.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake hit a spot about 873 kilometres northeast of Ngunguru, New Zealand, a town of about 1,400 people. It occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres.

The area the quake struck is called the Kermadec Islands, about 800 kilometres northeast of New Zealand’s North Island.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management cleared New Zealand of a tsunami threat moments after issuing a beach warning.

WATCH: Drone video captures impact of New Zealand earthquake on Kekerengu fault line

1:43 Drone video captures impact of New Zealand earthquake on Kekerengu fault line

The Kermadec Islands, a volcanic archipelago, are prone to earthquakes. The islands are a dependency of New Zealand and lie at the western edge of the Kermadec Trench.

There are no permanent settlements on the islands.