Magnitude-6.7 quake shakes New Zealand’s South Island

A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck off New Zealand's South Island on Tuesday, authorities said, as the country's disaster agency assessed if there were tsunami threats.

Residents of the Southland and Fiordland regions were warned to stay away from beaches and marine areas as strong and unusual currents may present a danger, the national emergency management agency said.

More than 4,700 people felt the quake, government seismic monitor Geonet said, as New Zealand media reported items falling and buildings swaying.

“We had things fall off shelf. The outdoor wooden table dancing,” a user posted on Facebook, according to the New Zealand Herald.

The quake was reported at a depth of 33km about 160km northwest of Snares Islands, the northernmost of New Zealand's subantarctic islands, Geonet said in an alert.

The US geological survey said the quake, which was downgraded from an earlier magnitude of 7, happened at a depth of about 10km.

Australia's national weather bureau said there was no tsunami threat to the mainland, islands or territories.

New Zealand lies on the seismically active “Ring of Fire”, a 40,000km arc of volcanoes and ocean trenches girdling much of the Pacific Ocean.

Reuters