WELLINGTON: A powerful 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck off New Zealand’s South Island on Tuesday (Mar 25), authorities stated, because the nation’s catastrophe company assessed if there have been any tsunami threats.
The tremor hit at 2.43pm native time (9.43am Singapore time) at a depth of 10km off the southwest tip of South Island, in accordance with the USGS.
Authorities seismic monitor Geonet reported the quake at a depth of 33km about 160km north-west of Snares Islands.
Greater than 4,700 individuals felt the temblor, stated Geonet, as New Zealand media reported gadgets falling and buildings swaying.
Centred round 160km from mainland settlement Riverton, it was initially recorded as a 7-magnitude jolt earlier than it was downgraded.
Residents of the Southland and Fiordland areas ought to steer clear of seashores and marine areas as robust and strange currents might current a hazard, the Nationwide Emergency Administration Company stated.
The emergency company stated in an replace at about 3.30pm native time that no “land menace” was anticipated however that it was nonetheless assessing the quake.
These in coastal areas ought to observe the “lengthy or robust, get gone” steering.
“Individuals ought to be self-evacuating instantly from all locations close to the coast the place the earthquake was felt both for longer than a minute or was robust sufficient that it was laborious to face,” it stated in an advisory on its web site.
“We had issues fall off shelf. The outside picket desk dancing,” a person posted on Fb, in accordance with the New Zealand Herald newspaper.
Ben Sievwright, supervisor of Ziff’s Cafe and Bar in Invercargill on the South Island, stated he felt “a bit of sway”.
“Just a bit wee shake, nothing too eventful,” he instructed AFP.
Rose Ivory, proprietor of La Riviera Guesthouse in Riverton, stated her “complete automotive was rocking and rolling”.
“That was fairly an extended one. Everybody was fairly calm about the entire thing. I went into the grocery procuring, yeah, nobody gave the impression to be too bothered about it.”
Australia’s nationwide climate bureau stated there was no tsunami menace to the mainland, islands or territories.
New Zealand straddles the boundary of two main tectonic plates and is rattled by 1000’s of small earthquakes yearly.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake levelled swathes of Christchurch in 2011, killing 185 individuals, in accordance with authorities figures.
