[T*]

Got this notification from Sky News on my phone- no (full) story yet

An earthquake has struck New Zealand, just outside Christchurch which was reduced to rubble five years ago.
Initially the quake was measured at 7.5 magnitude – much more powerful than the 2011 quake which measured 6.3 on the Richter scale.
The quake struck at just after midnight, local time (11.02am GMT).
The centre of the earthquake was just 75 miles north of Christchurch.
This is a breaking news story and we will update it as more information comes to us.

Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2016/11/13/new-ze...#ixzz4Pt51ivB0

A powerful earthquake has hit northeast of Christchurch, a city in New Zealand, according to the US Geological Survey. Twitter reports from locals talk of “enormous” shaking felt in Wellington and Cheviot.
The quake was centered 46km from the town of Amberley with about 2,000 people, and 70km from the town of Kaiapoi with 10,000 residents, according to the USGS. The tremor had a shallow depth of 5 km.

The quake also took place 86km from the town of Christchurch which was struck by a powerful earthquake back in 2011. At least 185 people were killed and hundreds injured after the 6.3 magnitude quake hit the town.

According to GeoNet online service, the magnitude of the quake is 6.6 with a depth of 16km. The service added that the tremor caused “strong shaking” near the town of Kaikoura.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported that the quake was felt in North Island.

The region may be struck by aftershocks, the New Zealand Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management (MCDEM) warns.

No damage has so far been reported, but One News corresponded tweets that the authorities issued an “orange tsunami alert” following the earthquake.

https://www.rt.com/news/366772-zeala...damage-threat/