At least two people were killed and more fatalities were feared after a powerful 7.8 earthquake struck New Zealand just after midnight Monday, while residents in coastal areas fled following tsunami warnings.

As dawn broke there was scant information from many rural villages in the South Island, which were isolated by landslips and fractured telephone communications as strong aftershocks continued for several hours.

Prime Minister John Key confirmed two people had died and said “we cannot rule out” that number will rise, nearly seven hours after the main quake.

Police were trying to reach the scene of one fatality at a remote property 150 kilometres north of Christchurch while another person died in a historic homestead which collapsed at the nearby fishing village of Kaikoura.

“At this point we are unable to give precise details of what caused those fatalities,” Key said, adding that communication problems made it difficult to get information.

Helicopters were taking officials workers to the worst-affected area, he said.

“As soon as we can get a much better assessment of the actual damage then we can work out the next steps.”

Soon after the earthquake, tsunami warning sirens were activated in South Island coastal towns and along the east coast of the North Island, with police and emergency workers going door to door to evacuate seaside properties.

The ministry of civil defence, responsible for emergency management in New Zealand, initially warned of a “destructive tsunami” with waves of up to five metres (16 feet).

The first waves were measured around two metres and four hours later authorities downgraded the warning, but said risks remained.

The earthquake struck at 12:02am Monday (1102 GMT Sunday) and was 23 kilometres deep, the US Geological Survey said, putting the epicentre near the alpine tourist village of Hanmer and the rural township of Cheviot in North Canterbury, South Island.

It was one of the most powerful shakes to rock earthquake-prone New Zealand and ignited painful memories for residents in Christchurch which was devastated five years ago by a 6.3 tremor which killed 185 people.

“It was massive and really long,” Tamsin Edensor, a mother of two in Christchurch, told AFP, describing the powerful quake as the biggest since the 2011 tremor which was one of New Zealand’s deadliest disasters.

“We were asleep and woken to the house shaking, it kept going and going and felt like it was going to build up.”

The main tremor was followed by a series of strong aftershocks and there were reports of damaged houses. Roads were cut and rail and ferry services were halted.

People took to social media to report damage with goods tipped from shelves and shattered glass littering streets.

“Family friends in Cheviot say some houses are gone,” one person tweeted.

Marie Black, a local councillor who lives about 50 kilometres north of Christchurch, told the New Zealand Herald there were reports of damage to buildings in the North Canterbury region.

“It was a significant shake, I have felt several aftershocks and it is very unnerving,” she said.

In the capital city Wellington, where shattered glass littered inner city streets, rail and bus services were cancelled and people were advised not to try to go to work Monday.

In several cities guests were forced to evacuate hotels when the quake hit, including Nelson, about 200 kilometres from the quake centre where the touring Pakistan cricket team are staying.

“Some of the boys were in prayer, some were watching the India-England Test on TV when we felt the windows shake,” team manager Wasim Bari told ESPNcricinfo.

In September, a strong 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the east coast of New Zealand, generating a small tsunami, but no significant damage or injuries were reported.

New Zealand is on the boundary of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, which form part of the so-called “Ring of Fire”, and experiences up to 15,000 tremors a year. – AFP </s> WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A powerful earthquake struck New Zealand's South Island early Monday, shaking residents awake, causing damage to buildings and prompting emergency services to warn people along the coast to move to higher ground to avoid tsunami waves.

The magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck just after midnight in a mostly rural area close to the city of Christchurch, but appeared to be more strongly felt in Wellington, the capital, more than 200 kilometers (120 miles) to the north. The quake was followed by a number of strong aftershocks.

The quake temporarily knocked out New Zealand's emergency call number, 111, police reported. It caused items to fall from shelves and windows to break in Wellington, and forced hundreds of tourists onto the streets as hotels were evacuated. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries in the city.

New Zealand's Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management reported that a tsunami wave struck at about 1:50 a.m. and warned residents living in low-lying areas anywhere along the country's east coast to move to higher ground.

Information from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center indicated that the tsunami waves could be highest around the South Island town of Kaikoura, at about 1.5 meters (5 feet). The Hawaii-based center said it did not expect the quake to generate a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami.

Within New Zealand, there was confusion about the tsunami threat.

The ministry had earlier sent out a message on Twitter saying there was no tsunami threat to the country. But then it sent out another message — "situation has changed - tsunami is possible" — before reporting that a tsunami had hit.

The ministry said people on the coast near the epicenter could expect waves of between 3 and 5 meters (10 and 16 feet).

While there were no immediate reports of any major damage or injuries in Christchurch, the quake brought back memories of a magnitude-6.3 earthquake that struck the city in 2011, destroying much of the downtown area and killing 185 people in one of New Zealand's worst disasters. Monday's quake was centered farther away from Christchurch than the one in 2011, which caused an estimated $25 billion in damage.

As Monday's quake hit, Christchurch resident Hannah Gin had just sat down in her living room to watch a replay of this weekend's All Blacks versus Italy rugby match when her house started shaking. Upstairs, her mother let out a scream.

Gin, a 24-year-old lifelong Christchurch resident, is accustomed to quakes, so she said she sat calmly and waited, figuring the rumbling would stop in a few seconds. Instead, the shaking just went on and on — for at least three minutes, according to the clock on her phone, she said by phone.

The quake was far less violent than the one that struck her city in 2011, Gin said, adding that there was no jarring up and down or side to side, just a long, rolling sensation. But it went on for much longer than the typical quakes that strike the area, she said. She was less concerned about running for cover than she was about vomiting from the motion sickness, she said with a chuckle.

"I could hear the sliding door sliding back and forth and we've got washing hanging up and I could see the washing moving," Gin said. "It just kept going and going."

She said that her house, which was damaged in the 2011 quake, did not appear to have sustained any new damage from Monday's quake. She also said she had heard from many of her friends who live in the city, and all were safe.

"As far as I know, everyone's fine," she said. "We're all just really shaken."

In Wellington, 132 miles north of the quake's epicenter, power was knocked out in some places, and some windows were smashed and some chimneys collapsed.

The quake was centered 57 miles northeast of Christchurch, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USGS initially estimated that the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.4 before revising it to 7.8. It said the quake struck at a depth of 23 kilometers (14 miles), after initially putting the depth at 10 kilometers (6 miles). Earthquakes tend to be more strongly felt on the surface when they're shallow.

New Zealand sits on the "Ring of Fire," an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes are common. </s> An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck central New Zealand just after midnight (1102 GMT Sunday), the U.S. Geological Survey said, generating a tsunami that hit the northeast coast of the South Island.

New Zealand’s Civil Defence warned residents along the country’s entire east coast to seek higher ground.

Anna Kaiser, a seismologist at GNS Science said a tidal signal or surge of up to one metre (3 feet) had been recorded in North Canterbury region of the South Island.

“That’s reasonably significant so people should take this seriously,” she told Radio New Zealand.

The quake was centered 91 km (57 miles) north-northeast of Christchurch, the biggest city on New Zealand’s South Island. A 6.3 quake there in February 2011 killed 185 people and caused widespread damage.

The tremor, which was measured by New Zealand’s Geonet at magnitude 6.6, was felt throughout most of New Zealand. Civil Defence said it was too early to assess the damage or whether there had been any injuries or deaths.

“The whole house rolled like a serpent and some things smashed, the power went out,” a woman who gave her name as Elizabeth told Radio New Zealand from her home in Takaka, near the top of the South Island.

Residents in Wellington said glass had fallen from buildings into the streets.

A series of aftershocks were recorded around the country, some as strong as 6.1 magnitude. </s> WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A powerful earthquake struck New Zealand’s South Island early Monday, killing at least two people, causing damage to buildings and infrastructure, and prompting emergency services to warn people along the coast to move to higher ground to avoid tsunami waves.

The magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck just after midnight in a mostly rural area that’s dotted with small towns. Near the epicenter, it opened up snaking fissures in roads and triggered landslides.

It caused damage in Wellington, the capital, more than 200 kilometers (120 miles) to the north and was also strongly felt in the city of Christchurch to the south. Residents said the shaking went on for about three minutes, and was followed by a number of strong aftershocks.

Speaking about six hours after the quake struck, Prime Minister John Key said he was unable to give further information on the fatalities until authorities had confirmed all the details. He said officials had no reason to believe the death toll would rise.

“On the very best information we have at the moment, we think it’s only likely to be two. But of course there are isolated parts of the country which we don’t have perfect eyes on, so we can’t be 100 percent sure,” he said.

Key said that crews would better be able to assess the damage during the day. He said officials had decided not to declare a national emergency because the nation’s regions were able to adequately cope with the situation.

He said waves of about 2 meters (6.6 feet) had hit the coast but the tsunami threat had since been downgraded to coastal warnings.

The quake temporarily knocked out New Zealand’s emergency call number, 111, police reported. In Wellington, it collapsed a ferry loading ramp, broke windows and caused items to fall from shelves. It also forced hundreds of tourists onto the streets as hotels were evacuated.

Authorities in Wellington were urging people who work in the center of the city to stay home on Monday. City officials said that some large buildings were showing signs of structural stress, and the quake would likely have caused a mess in some buildings. The city’s suburban rail network was shut while crews checked tracks, bridges and tunnels.

The quake brought back memories of the magnitude-6.3 earthquake that struck Christchurch in 2011, destroying much of the downtown area and killing 185 people. That quake was one of New Zealand’s worst disasters, causing an estimated $25 billion in damage.

Although Monday’s quake was stronger, its epicenter was much farther from any major urban areas. Location, depth and other factors beyond magnitude all contribute to the destructive power of an earthquake.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management reported that a tsunami wave struck at about 1:50 a.m. and warned residents living in low-lying areas anywhere along the country’s east coast to move to higher ground.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it did not expect the quake to generate a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami.

Within New Zealand, there was confusion about the tsunami threat throughout the morning.

The ministry initially said there was no threat but later wrote on Twitter “situation has changed – tsunami is possible” before reporting that a tsunami had hit.

When the quake hit, Hannah Gin had just sat down in her living room to watch a replay of the national rugby team’s weekend match against Italy when her house started shaking. Upstairs, her mother let out a scream.

Gin, a 24-year-old lifelong Christchurch resident, is accustomed to quakes, so she said she sat calmly and waited, figuring the rumbling would stop in a few seconds. Instead, she said by telephone, the shaking just went on and on — for at least three minutes, according to the clock on her phone.

The quake was far less violent than the one that struck Christchurch in 2011, Gin said, adding that there was no jarring up and down or side to side, just a long, rolling sensation. But it went on for much longer than the typical quakes that strike the area, she said. She was less concerned about running for cover than she was about vomiting from the motion sickness, she said with a chuckle.

“I could hear the sliding door sliding back and forth, and we’ve got washing hanging up and I could see the washing moving,” Gin said. “It just kept going and going.”

She said that her house, which was damaged in the 2011 quake, did not appear to have sustained any new damage from Monday’s quake. She also said she had heard from many of her friends who live in the city, and all were safe.

“As far as I know, everyone’s fine,” she said. “We’re all just really shaken.”

In Wellington, 214 kilometers (132 miles) north of the quake’s epicenter, power was knocked out in some places, and some windows were smashed and some chimneys collapsed.

The quake was centered 93 kilometers (57 miles) northeast of Christchurch, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USGS initially estimated that the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.4 before revising it to 7.8. It said the quake struck at a depth of 23 kilometers (14 miles), after initially putting the depth at 10 kilometers (6 miles). Earthquakes tend to be more strongly felt on the surface when they are shallow.

New Zealand, with a population of 4.7 million, sits on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes are common.

Associated Press writer Kristen Gelineau in Sydney contributed to this report. </s> WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A powerful earthquake struck New Zealand near the city of Christchurch early Monday, with strong jolts causing some damage to buildings over 200 (120 miles) away in the capital, Wellington.

New Zealand emergency services warned that a tsunami was possible and told people near the coast of the South Island to move to higher ground. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no immediate danger of a broader tsunami from the magnitude-7.4 quake.

In Wellington, 214 (132 miles) north of the quake's epicenter, power was knocked out in some places, and some windows smashed and some chimneys collapsed.

There were no immediate reports of any major damage or injuries in Christchurch.

The quake, which struck just after midnight Sunday, was 93 (57 miles) northeast of Christchurch, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was at a relatively shallow depth of 10 (6 miles). Earthquakes tend to be more strongly felt on the surface when they're shallow.

The quake brought back memories of a 2011 earthquake that struck Christchurch, destroying much of the city and killing 185 people. But Monday's quake was much farther away from any major population .

New Zealand sits on the "Ring of Fire," an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes are common. </s> A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of New Zealand – sparking fears of a potential tsunami threat.

The quake was estimated at a depth of around 18 miles off the country's north island, 352 miles northeast of Wellington, the US Geological Survey said.

There were no immediate reports of causalities.

No Pacific-wide tsunami warning has been issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, but officials in New Zealand said there was a 'potential threat'.

A 'very small' tsunami has already hit the country's northern coast, according to USGS geophysicist John Bellini.

New Zealand is on the boundary of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, which form part of the so-called 'Ring of Fire', and experiences up to 15,000 tremors a year.

In a series of tweets, New Zealand’s Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management warned people to stay out of the water.

It said: 'There is a potential tsunami threat for New Zealand following the 7m earthquake near Te Araroa at 4.38NZ time today.'

The quake happened just after 5.30pm British time.

It comes around 24 hours after a separate 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of New Zealand's north island.

That quake happened at 10.04am local time on Thursday and its epicentre was near the town of Te Araroa on the east coast of the island.

It had a depth of 25 kilometres and was felt by people north of Te Araroa in Auckland and the Great Barrier Island, the New Zealand Herald reported.

There were no reports of damage or injuries, and no tsunami warnings put in place. </s> The magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck just after midnight in a mostly rural area close to the city of Christchurch, but appeared to be more strongly felt in Wellington, the capital, more than 200 kilometers (120 miles) to the north. Residents said the shaking went on for about three minutes, and was followed by a number of strong aftershocks.

The quake temporarily knocked out New Zealand’s emergency call number, 111, police reported. Near the epicenter, it opened up snaking fissures in roads and triggered landslides. In Wellington, it collapsed a ferry loading ramp, broke windows and caused items to fall from shelves. It also forced hundreds of tourists onto the streets as hotels were evacuated.

The full extent of the damage is unlikely to be known before daybreak.

Authorities in Wellington were urging people who work in the center of the city to stay home on Monday. City officials said that some large buildings were showing signs of structural stress, and that the quake would likely have caused a mess in some buildings. The city’s suburban rail network was shut while crews checked tracks, bridges and tunnels.

While there were no immediate reports of serious injuries in Wellington or Christchurch, the quake brought back memories of the magnitude-6.3 earthquake that struck Christchurch in 2011, destroying much of the downtown area and killing 185 people. That quake was one of New Zealand’s worst disasters, causing an estimated $25 billion in damage.

Although Monday’s quake was stronger, its epicenter was much farther from any major urban areas. Location, depth and other factors beyond magnitude all contribute to how destructive an earthquake can be.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management reported that a tsunami wave struck at about 1:50 a.m. and warned residents living in low-lying areas anywhere along the country’s east coast to move to higher ground.

Information from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center indicated that the tsunami waves could be highest around the South Island town of Kaikoura, at about 1.5 meters (5 feet). The Hawaii-based center said it did not expect the quake to generate a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami.

Within New Zealand, there was confusion about the tsunami threat.

The ministry initially sent out a message on Twitter saying there was no tsunami threat. But then it sent out another message — “situation has changed - tsunami is possible” — before reporting that a tsunami had hit. The ministry then said people on the coast near the epicenter could expect waves of between 3 and 5 meters (10 and 16 feet).

As the quake hit, Christchurch resident Hannah Gin had just sat down in her living room to watch a replay of the national rugby team’s weekend match against Italy when her house started shaking. Upstairs, her mother let out a scream.

Gin, a 24-year-old lifelong Christchurch resident, is accustomed to quakes, so she said she sat calmly and waited, figuring the rumbling would stop in a few seconds. Instead, she said by telephone, the shaking just went on and on — for at least three minutes, according to the clock on her phone.

The quake was far less violent than the one that struck Christchurch in 2011, Gin said, adding that there was no jarring up and down or side to side, just a long, rolling sensation. But it went on for much longer than the typical quakes that strike the area, she said. She was less concerned about running for cover than she was about vomiting from the motion sickness, she said with a chuckle.

“I could hear the sliding door sliding back and forth, and we’ve got washing hanging up and I could see the washing moving,” Gin said. “It just kept going and going.”

She said that her house, which was damaged in the 2011 quake, did not appear to have sustained any new damage from Monday’s quake. She also said she had heard from many of her friends who live in the city, and all were safe.

“As far as I know, everyone’s fine,” she said. “We’re all just really shaken.”

In Wellington, 214 kilometers (132 miles) north of the quake’s epicenter, power was knocked out in some places, and some windows were smashed and some chimneys collapsed.

The quake was centered 93 kilometers (57 miles) northeast of Christchurch, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USGS initially estimated that the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.4 before revising it to 7.8. It said the quake struck at a depth of 23 kilometers (14 miles), after initially putting the depth at 10 kilometers (6 miles). Earthquakes tend to be more strongly felt on the surface when they’re shallow.

New Zealand sits on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes are common.

Associated Press writer Kristen Gelineau in Sydney contributed to this report. </s> New Zealand has been warned a tsunami could strike after a massive earthquake rocked the nation.

The 7.1 magnitude quake hit the coast of the southern hemisphere country in the early hours of Friday morning local time.

There were no immediate reports of injury or damage as the quake hit 105 miles northeast of Gisborne, and had a depth of 19.1 miles.

A short while after the earthquake struck, the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management warned of the potential of a tsunami hitting coastal areas.

It said in a statement on its website: "MCDEM and scientific advisors are in the process of assessing the situation to determine the severity of the threat to New Zealand.

"Meanwhile, people in coastal areas should note that strong tsunami currents and surges are possible.

"Listen to the radio and TV for further assessment and updates."

Twitter users in New Zealand's North Island reported being woken up by shaking.

The quake did not pose any danger of a tsunami on the Pacific coast of Canada or the United States, the US National Tsunami Warning Center said.

The Chilean Navy also said it did not expect a tsunami on the coast of the South American nation.

The USGS originally reported the quake as a 7.2 magnitude but later downgraded it to 7.1. </s> Officials in New Zealand have issued a tsunami warning after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the North Island coast.

Residents of Tologa Bay were told to evacuate after the quake hit around 105 miles northeast of Gisborne at a depth of 19.1 miles.

Buildings were rocked by the quake, which happened shortly before 4.40am local time.

Rupert Barrett tweeted: "I woke up to a minor shake and I thought it was gonna end but then it got 3x worse and the whole house started shaking."

Another Twitter user wrote: "We're right on the beach so we're in a tsunami evacuation zone right now.

"Woke up nauseous our whole house was shaking."

There were no immediate reports of any damage to buildings or injuries.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes north of Christchurch, New Zealand, in the early hours Monday, triggering tsunami warnings and causing widespread damage. At least two people are reported killed.