A strong 6.7 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday struck off New Zealand’s South Island.
This is as the country’s disaster agency assessed if there were any tsunami threats.
The National Emergency Management Agency advised residents of the Southland and Fiordland regions to stay away from beaches and marine areas as strong and unusual currents may present a danger.
Government seismic monitor Geonet said at least 4,700 people felt the quake, as New Zealand media reported items falling and buildings swaying.
According to the northernmost of New Zealand’s sub-antarctic islands, Geonet, the quake was reported at a depth of 33 km (21 miles) about 160 km north-west of Snares Islands.
Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey said the quake, which was downgraded from an earlier magnitude of 7, happened at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles).
Also, Australia’s national weather bureau said there was no tsunami threat to the mainland, islands or territories.
Newspot reports that New Zealand lies on the seismically active “Ring of Fire”, a 40,000-km arc of volcanoes and ocean trenches girdling much of the Pacific Ocean.
