Wellington, July 15: An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale hit southern New Zealand on Wednesday, a report has said.
According to the US Geological Survey, the quake struck the south-west tip of New Zealand, 161km (100 miles) west of Invercargill at a depth of 33km (20 miles).
No more details are available just yet. However, a Tsunami warning has been issued for parts of the Pacific Ocean.
Last month, a series of eight earthquakes in 13 hours had struck the central region of New Zealand’s North Island.
There are between 10,000 and 15,000 earthquakes in and around New Zealand each year.
The biggest known quake in New Zealand was of the 8.2-magnitude Wairarapa earthquake of 1855.
–Agencies