DEVELOPING: Dam breached on New Zealand river, residents urged to seek higher ground

Residents of the Marlborough region of New Zealand are being urged to go to higher ground immediately, after a slip dam breached on the Clarence River following a powerful earthquake and series of aftershocks. Emergency workers began evacuating residents at around 3:30pm local time on Monday, before the slip breached, as a precautionary measure, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Located on South Island, New Zealand, the Clarence River is 230 kilometers (140 miles) long, making it the eighth longest river in the country. It comes after a series of powerful earthquakes struck South Island just after midnight local time on Monday, triggering a tsunami and a series of aftershocks which left at least two people dead. READ MORE