A shallow earthquake at sea near New Zealand’s Milford Sound has been felt by thousands on South Island.
The 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook thousands of people in Queenstown, Wanaka, Te Anau and other settlements at 10.20am NZDT on Thursday.
The quake’s epicentre was 35 kilometres west of New Zealand’s world famous sound, and just five kilometres underwater.
Some 3700 Kiwis reported feeling rattling to GNS Science’s public reporting arm, GeoNet.”Crikey.
Felt that in Dunedin…a roller not a jolter,” one Twitter user wrote.Another wrote: “Rockin’ and rolling in the office here in Queenstown – that you Te Anau? Ya good?”There were no immediate reports of damage.
New Zealand lies on the centre of major seismic activity, and has endured a number of unconnected earthquakes in the past month.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was caught live on air during one rumble, standing firm during a similar 5.9-magnitude shake closer to the capital, Wellington.
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake at sea last week was the strongest earthquake felt in New Zealand territory in the past two years.
Source: 9news.com.au
