A powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of New Zealand’s South Island on Tuesday, prompting authorities to assess potential tsunami threats.
The National Emergency Management Agency has advised residents in the Southland and Fiordland regions to stay away from beaches and marine areas due to the risk of strong and unusual currents.
According to government seismic monitor Geonet, more than 4,700 people reported feeling the quake, with local media documenting instances of falling objects and swaying buildings.
“We had things fall off the shelf. The outdoor wooden table was dancing,” a Facebook user posted, as quoted by the New Zealand Herald.
Geonet reported the earthquake at a depth of 33 km (21 miles), approximately 160 km northwest of Snares Islands, New Zealand’s northernmost sub-Antarctic islands. Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which initially recorded the quake as a 7.0 magnitude event, later revised it to 6.7 with a depth of 10 km (6 miles).
Australia’s national weather bureau confirmed that the quake poses no tsunami threat to the mainland, islands, or territories.
New Zealand sits on the seismically active “Ring of Fire”, a 40,000-km arc of volcanoes and ocean trenches that encircle much of the Pacific Ocean.
Source: Reuters
