Strong earthquake jolts New Zealand's North Island

Strong earthquake jolts New Zealand's North Island

2011-07-05 15:53:26 GMT+7 (ICT)

TAUPO, NEW ZEALAND (BNO NEWS) -- A strong but deep earthquake shook the North Island of New Zealand on Tuesday afternoon, seismologists said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The 6.5-magnitude earthquake at 3.36 p.m. local time (0336 GMT) was centered about 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of Taupo, a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the center of the North Island. It struck about 150 kilometers (93 miles) deep, making it an earthquake with an intermediate depth, according to the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GeoNet), the country's seismological agency.

Although the earthquake was felt across the North Island, mainly to the east and south of the epicenter, some people near the epicenter itself said they did not feel it. Seismologists said this could be explained because the earthquake struck below the plate boundary, and a volcanic zone in the area absorbed much of the energy that was released.

Police said there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Last month, on June 13, at least 46 people were injured when a strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near the city of Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand. It followed a 6.3-magnitude earthquake on February 22 near Christchurch, killing 181 people and injuring more than 1,500 others.

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