A strong earthquake rocked New Zealand on Wednesday evening (local time). The quake had a magnitude of 6.1, according to Geonet, the national earthquake agency. The center was near the capital Wellington at a depth of about 48 kilometers in the sea, but the tremors were felt in large parts of the country.
Within a short time, about 60,000 people reported on the Internet that they had clearly felt the tremors, including in the South Island’s largest city of Auckland and Christchurch, the New Zealand Herald newspaper reported.
#BREAK: An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale has occurred near the city of Wellington in New Zealand.
Reports say it was felt by thousands of residents, but it’s unclear how much damage was done. @MarkWBurrows #9news pic.twitter.com/bBpqLGOzyS
— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) February 15, 2023
Many described the quake as “huge and frightening”. It took almost 30 seconds, they said. Eyewitnesses told the German news agency that they had sought protection under tables.
The US earthquake monitor USGS estimated the magnitude at 5.7. There was no tsunami warning. At first nothing was known about possible injury or damage.
Many people in the North Island of the Pacific state are currently fighting devastating floods after tropical storm Gabrielle had traveled across the country. Because communication with the flooded areas is limited, it was initially unclear how many people there were also affected by the earthquake.
(yam/sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
