Strong Earthquake Strikes New Zealand Sunday | WeatherBug
Main Menu
Responsive menu icon

Strong Earthquake Strikes New Zealand Sunday

August 14, 2017
Japan Economic Newswire
New Zealand's Christchurch was shaken by a strong earthquake on Sunday, which caused cliffs to collapse and water pipes to burst around the city, but there were no reports of casualties or major damage.

The magnitude 5.8 quake, which occurred at 1:13 p.m. local time, was centered 17 kilometers off the coast of Christchurch, South Island's biggest city, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which monitors global seismic activity.

The city's Mayor Lianne Dalziel described it as "very, very strong," telling the New Zealand Herald that the ground "violently shook suddenly" with no warning.

The quake, which had a relatively shallow depth of 8.2 km, comes five years after a M6.3 quake in the same area left 185 people dead.

According to the Christchurch City Council, the latest quake caused cliff collapses at Whitewash Head and Godley Head, and rockfalls and localized liquefaction elsewhere in the city, prompting closure of some roads and tracks.

Water pipes burst in several parts of the city, while some pump stations were affected by power outages and the city authorities were organizing standby generators.

Dalziel called the quake "a real setback to morale" in the city of some 380,000 people, but she said the smooth emergency response shows it is in a "heck of a better position" now than it was back in February 2011.

"Our city is a stronger city for what it's been through," she said, adding, "Life needs to go on. We've had a reminder that we live in a vulnerable environment and we need to look out for each other."

The quake was reportedly felt as far away as Wellington, located 293 km away on North Island. It was followed by more than 50 aftershocks including a M4.2 one at 6:27 p.m., according to GeoNet, New Zealand's official source of geological hazard information.