This picture shows an empty highway during a nationwide covid-19 lockdown in Wellington on August 18, 2021. AFP FILE PHOTO
WELLINGTON — A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck New Zealand near the South Island town of Blenheim on Monday at a depth of 30 km (19 miles), government seismic monitor Geonet said.
A Reuters witness felt strong shaking in capital Wellington. No immediate damages or injuries were reported.
New Zealand lies on the seismically active “Ring of Fire”, a 40,000-km arc of volcanoes and ocean trenches girdling much of the Pacific Ocean.
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