Tsunami warnings issued after 8.1 magnitude earthquake near New Zealand

People gather on high ground in Whangarei, New Zealand, as a tsunami warning is issued (Mike Dinsdale/New Zealand Herald/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.