New Zealand hit by magnitude 6.0 quake, no serious damage reported
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The earthquake hit at 9.14am on Wednesday at a focal depth of 11km.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM USGS
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WELLINGTON – A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck near the town of Geraldine in the centre of New Zealand’s South Island, government seismic monitor GeoNet said on Wednesday.
Initial reports indicate no injuries or significant damage.
The earthquake was the largest in the country so far in 2023.
It hit at 9.14am on Wednesday at a focal depth of 11km.
GeoNet said that more than 14,000 people had reported feeling the shake, some as far north as Auckland in the North Island.
Ms Sarah Hussey, a farmer living close to the epicentre, said the quake was stronger than others she remembered.
“There’s no damage here, but I thought it was thunder for a start,” she told Television New Zealand’s 1News, adding that she felt her house move during the quake.
Mr Scott Shannon, deputy mayor of Timaru district near the centre of the earthquake, told Radio NZ that there had been no immediate reports of damage, but checks were ongoing.
The quake struck not far from where a magnitude 6.3 quake hit in 2011, killing 185 people and causing major damage in the South Island city of Christchurch. REUTERS
