Massive 5.6 earthquake shakes New Zealand’s South Island
- 5.6 earthquake rocks New Zealand’s upper South Island and lower North Island
- There were no immediate reports of extensive damage or injuries
- Government seismic monitor Geonet received more than 15,000 felt reports
New Zealand has been rocked by a 5.6 earthquake on the nation’s South Island.
The quake struck near the town of Blenheim in the Marlborough District on Monday afternoon shortly after 4pm local time at a depth of 30 kilometres, government seismic monitor Geonet confirmed.
There were no immediate reports of extensive damage or injuries.
Geonet reported the earthquake caused ‘a decent shake’ in the upper South Island and lower North Island.
A 5.6 magnitude earthquake rocked New Zealand’s Marlborough District on Monday afternoon
‘The shaking was strong in intensity, and we have received more than 15,000 felt reports,’ the organisation tweeted.
Shocked Kiwis near the epicentre recalled feeling a massive jolt.
‘The floor shook a heavy table shook and the floor of the house and the walls shook. We got out if the house,’ one recalled.
Another added: ‘Is there going to be a tsunami? In Tuamarina and close to the sea?’
The quake was also felt in the nearby town of Seddon and in the city of Nelson.
‘We did get a bit of a fright. We were outside, standing out the back and we heard a massive bang,’ one Seddon local told Stuff.
‘We looked at the truck and it was rocking and rolling.’
New Zealand is one of many nations that lie on the seismically active ‘Ring of Fire’, a 40,000-km arc of volcanoes and ocean trenches girdling much of the Pacific Ocean.
The earthquake was felt in New Zealand’s upper South Island and lower North Island
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