Bhubaneswar: A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Riverton, New Zealand, on Tuesday, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The USGS survey reported that the earthquake, initially recorded as a 7.0 magnitude, struck at 2:43 PM local time (0143 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) off the southwest tip of New Zealand’s South Island.
The earthquake struck about 160 kilometers off the coast of Riverton, New Zealand. Officials are monitoring for aftershocks, while the USGS issued green alerts, indicating a low risk of casualties or major damage, though some vulnerable buildings may be affected.
New Zealand’s emergency management agency is evaluating whether the earthquake has triggered a tsunami that could affect the country. As per reports, in a national advisory, it stated, “If a tsunami has been generated in this location, it is unlikely to reach New Zealand for at least one hour.”
No tsunami warning has been issued in the region.
Further, USGS notes that the eastern edge of the Australian plate is among the world’s most seismically active regions due to its high convergence with the Pacific plate. The Australia-Pacific plate boundary spans 3,000 km from Macquarie Island to the southern Kermadec Islands.
New Zealand’s deadliest earthquake was the 7.8-magnitude Hawke’s Bay quake in 1931, which killed 256 people.
