New Zealand was rattled by a magnitude 5.6 earthquake on September 20 morning but there were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries.
The quake struck in the central South Island about 124 kilometres (77 miles) west of Christchurch, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The depth was a relatively shallow 11 kilometres (7 miles). Shallower quakes tend to be felt more strongly.
New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency said the quake didn’t pose any tsunami risk and that it hadn’t received any reports of damage.
More than 14,000 people reported feeling the quake to the GeoNet monitoring agency. Residents reported feeling a strong, rocking motion and that the quake had triggered multiple alarms.
New Zealand, which is home to 5 million people, is sometimes jokingly called the Shaky Isles due to the number of quakes it experiences. The nation sits on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanoes are common.
