Key defends Civil Defence over tsunami warning

John Key

Prime Minister John Key says his job would have been on the line if Civil Defence had not issued a tsunami warning at the weekend and then a massive water surge had struck the coast, killing New Zealanders.

Yesterday, the tsunami alert was cancelled - with a caution to be careful - after a tense day in which all Civil Defence teams countrywide mobilised in response to a national tsunami warning.

Mr Key said he was happy with the Civil Defence response to the threat of a tsunami, which was generated after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Chile.

He said initial advice that there was no tsunami threat was understandable, as first details of the earthquake showed it was deeper than it was.

"It's easy in hindsight to say maybe we shouldn't have acted ... but if New Zealand hadn't acted and New Zealanders had died, I would strongly suggest [that] the Minister of Civil Defence would be gone, and I might well be gone.

"New Zealanders have an expectation that the Government takes these things seriously. Of course we need to be at a point where we respond appropriately. We've got to balance that between making sure people don't get so blase, but we just acted in unison with other countries.

"It's important that balance is preserved, that we're not crying wolf every five seconds, but we do have to take these things seriously."

New Zealand, as well as offering its condolences to Chile, had offered international aid, the PM said.

"Initial indications are that it's unlikely that Chile will be asking for significant international support, but we would do so if that was required."

Mr Key said it was a concern that so many people still headed to the coast despite the warning. But he shied away from suggestions Civil Defence officials should be able to arrest beach-goers who refuse to seek higher ground in the middle of a tsunami warning.

"That would be a big step. We are just trying to educate New Zealanders that a tsunami is a very dangerous thing. We saw in Samoa that it moves at frightening speeds. The impact and the capacity for people to respond is just nonexistent.

"While we can all sit back and say, 'Well, the waves weren't that high,' it could have been vastly different.

"If it had been a significant tsunami, New Zealanders would have died, and maybe in quite large numbers, because they weren't taking the Civil Defence warning seriously."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade yesterday confirmed that 230 New Zealanders were safe in Chile and 40 remained unaccounted for after the earthquake, which has left more than 700 dead.

There have been no reports of New Zealanders among the casualties.

A spokesman said communication networks in Chile remained disrupted, hampering the ministry's ability to contact New Zealanders.

"We ask that people who have reported concerns for New Zealanders, and have since heard they are safe, to tell us." Family and friends who had concerns about loved ones should try to contact the ministry in the first instance, the spokesman said.

The ministry advised against all tourist and nonessential travel to Chile until the situation became clearer.

"Those who still decide to continue plans to travel to Chile should contact their travel agent as their travel plans may have been disrupted by the earthquake."

CHILE

* More than 700 dead in Chile earthquake.
* No reports of New Zealanders among casualties.
* People in Chile or about to travel there are asked to register on www.safetravel.govt.nz.