Turkey- Severe earthquake hits New Zealand city of Christchurch
Date
2/14/2016 7:49:43 AM
(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) A severe 5.7 magnitude earthquake rocked New Zealand's second largest city early Sunday prompting buildings in Christchurch's center to be evacuated.
At 6.44 p.m. (0544GMT) a cliff was reported to have collapsed but there were no reports of major injuries or serious structural damage.
No tsunami warning was issued.
According to local newspaper The Press the tremor -- which struck 13 kilometers (8 miles) east of the city on New Zealand's south island around 1.13 p.m -- was originally listed as a magnitude 5.9 however it has since been downgraded to a 5.7.
In 2011 a magnitude 6.3 temblor in the area killed 185 people and left half the buildings in the city's central business district collapsed or unsafe to enter.
Aftershocks continued to hit the city late into the evening Sunday with a magnitude 4.0 quake occurring at 6.27 p.m. just 15 kilometers east of the city.
A magnitude 3.5 quake then shook the area four minutes later occurring just 10 kilometers north-east of the city.
New Zealand sits on the Ring of Fire an area in the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.
By Jill Fraser
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