The national geological monitoring system GeoNet reports a 5.6 earthquake that occurred 35 kilometers southwest of the city of Blenheim, at a depth of 32 kilometers. The agency received no fewer than 16,500 reports from residents who felt the quake.
Residents of Wellington (North Island) and Nelson (South Island) also felt the quake. Some described a long quake that shook the interior of their houses. No injuries have been reported so far and no damage is reported.
New Zealand is located on the Pacific Ocean’s ‘Ring of Fire’, a zone where tectonic plates meet and where seismic and volcanic activity is high.