Pacific tests tsunami warning systems

May 17, 2006 Thirty countries, including New Zealand, are participating in a test to see how well countries can respond when a tsunami strikes.

The test started at the Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii where a fake 9.2 magnitude earthquake occurred near Chile, starting a tsunami rolling across the pacific.

A second fake earthquake happened north of the Philippines to test the responses in the Western Pacific.

New Zealand's Civil Defence has recently come under fire for failing to do enough to protect its citizens after international news agencies warned that a tsunami, which never arrived, was expected to hit New Zealand.

The New Zealand Government's emergency management plan has also been criticised for being too unclear and insufficient.