Strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake hits New Zealand

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck the South Island of New Zealand at 0914 local time. The epicentre of the earthquake has been reported to be 11 kilometres below the Earth’s surface, 124 kilometres west of Christchurch.

According to the Geonet website, around 15,000 people reported to have felt the earthquake. The quake created panic, and people rushed out of their homes. Preliminary report suggests there is no tsunami warning and no reports of damage on the New Zealand mainland.