URGENT -- Magnitude-6.3 quake strikes New Zealand, tremors felt in Wellington

[News_Editor]

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (BNO NEWS) -- A strong and shallow earthquake struck the North Island of New Zealand on Monday afternoon, with tremors felt in Wellington and other parts of the country, seismologists and witnesses said. There was no immediate word on damage or casualties.

The 6.3-magnitude earthquake at about 3:52 p.m. local time (0259 GMT) was centered about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) north of Castlepoint, a small town on the Wairarapa coast. It struck about 65 kilometers (40 miles) deep, making it a relatively shallow earthquake, according to the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GeoNet), the country's seismological agency.

Witnesses said strong and long tremors were felt in the capital Wellington and other parts of the country, but there was no immediate word on damage or casualties. The epicenter of Monday's strong earthquake was approximately 129 kilometers (80 miles) northeast of Wellington.

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