A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck northern New Zealand

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake hit northern New Zealand on Wednesday. So far, officials have not initially detected any property damage or issued a tsunami warning.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which monitors seismic activity around the world, the earthquake’s hypocenter was located 74 kilometers below the ocean floor in the Pacific Ocean. The center of this movement, as reported by the company, is the well-known Cook Strait, where the sea divides the country.

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Residents felt the tremor for 10 to 20 seconds. Four people have been killed and more than 10,500 people have been forced to seek refuge as the country recovers from a devastating cyclone in the north.

The quake, which struck between the South and North Islands, was 54 kilometers west of Otaki, 69 kilometers north of Porirua and 80 kilometers northeast of the capital Wellington. According to AFP listeners, the quake was felt for about “20 seconds”.

New Zealand sits on a fault line between the Pacific and Oceanic tectonic plates and records about 14,000 earthquakes each year, 100 to 150 of which are powerful enough to be felt.

Hurricane Gabriel is a cause for concern

Beyond the earthquake in New Zealand, there is another natural phenomenon that worries New Zealand authorities even more. Hurricane Gabriel, a powerful coastal storm that hit the country on Tuesday, has so far left three civilians dead and more than 10,500 homeless.

The body of a minor was found today in Hawke’s Bay on the east coast of the North Island, according to a police report. Disaster including a volunteer firefighter.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins expressed his regret at a press conference in Wellington. “It goes beyond assets and livelihoods,” he explained.

Hipkins said police were concerned about the number of missing people in the Hawke Bay and Tairawhiti regions of the eastern North Island, as hundreds of people were not contacted due to problems with networks.

Efforts this Wednesday are focused on rescuing and evacuating affected residents and restoring communications and electrical power as Gabriel moves south and off the New Zealand coast.

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