Earthquake of 6.0 magnitude hits New Zealand, no serious damage or injuries reported
New Zealand Earthquake: An earthquake of 6.0 magnitude, the largest in the country this year, struck near Geraldine in the centre of New Zealand’s South Island on Thursday, government seismic monitor Geonet said on Wednesday as reported by Reuters. As per initial reports, no injuries or significant damage has been indicated. The earthquake hit at 9.14 am (2114 GMT) Wednesday at a focal depth of 11 km (7 miles).
The quake was measured at 5.6 magnitude by the US Geological Survey and at a downwardly revised 6.0 by New Zealand's GeoNet monitoring service, as reported by AFP. New Zealand's National Emergency Management Agency said the quake didn't pose any tsunami risk. GeoNet said more than 14,000 people had reported feeling the shake, some as far north as Auckland in the North Island.
Rebecca Chapman, who was working at Cafe Verde in Geraldine, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the epicentre told AFP that “Nothing broke, but the lights were shaking. It was a bit scary. One of the customers was distressed as they had experienced the Christchurch earthquake." Another citizen, Sarah Hussey, a farmer close to the epicentre told Reuters that the quake had been stronger than others she remembered.
"There's no damage here, but I thought it was thunder for a start. The house lifted up for a bit," she told TVNZ's 1News as quoted by Reuters. New Zealand sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide, and experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
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