6.5-magnitude quake rocks New Zealand
A worker marks a crack in the Wellington waterfront after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake on August 16, 2013 in Wellington, New Zealand. The quake struck Wellington at 2:31pm local time and was felt as far as Auckland on the north Island and Dunedin on the south. There have been reports of injuries but no fatalities.
A 6.5-magnitude earthquake rocked central New Zealand on Friday, the United States Geological Survey reported.
The quake struck at 2:31 p.m. local time southeast of Seddon in the far north of the South Island, and was followed by a series of aftershocks.
One aftershock had a magnitude of 5.7, the BBC reported.
There was no tsunami alert. It comes weeks after another 6.5-magnitude quake hit the same region.
AFP said the temblor caused a “violent jolt” in the capital Wellington, which is located on the southern tip of the North Island, sending terrified workers and residents into the streets.
The earthquake was felt in Christchurch in the South Island and Auckland in the North Island, AFP said.
Air and rail services were suspended.
So far, there have no reports of injuries or major damage to buildings or infrastructure.