New Zealand on Friday said a tsunami warning issued in response to powerful earthquakes that struck the island nation have been canceled.

-The National Advisory issued following the earthquakes near the Kermadac island region is canceled- said a statement by New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency.

Earlier, powerful earthquakes measuring 8.1 and 7.3 on Richter scale hit the northern parts of New Zealand triggering a tsunami alert for the region.

The two earthquakes hit the country in less than six hours apart.

Following a government warning, people in the Bay of Islands, Whangarei, the Great Barrier Islands, and from Matata to Tolaga Bay, including Whakatane and Opotiki, rushed to high ground in the region.