INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

New Zealand Hit By Magnitude 6.2 Aftershock Hours After String Of Powerful Earthquakes Kill 2

By Rahul Srinivas
Published on: 14:46 PST, Nov 13, 2016

Hours after a string of powerful earthquakes hit New Zealand, residents of the island nation continue to be rattled by powerful aftershocks. In the latest such quake, the U.S. Geological Survey and Reuters have both confirmed that the island was hit by another large aftershock of magnitude 6.2, more than 12 hours after the initial four earthquakes struck. Following the latest earthquake, a tsunami warning was sounded once again by authorities. However, only a few minutes later, the warning was withdrawn and officials confirmed that there was no threat of fresh tsunami waves.

While the effects of the newest earthquake remains to be evaluated, more than 12 hours after the first four quakes, we do have a more clearer picture of the destruction. Initial reports are that two people lost their lives due to the effects of the quakes. The first few tremors also resulted in a tsunami wave that hit several coastal regions of the country. However, as of now, there are no reports of any major loss of life or property due to the tsunami. This is owing to the fact that a credible early warning system was in place to predict any tsunami threat.

Earlier today, the Inquisitr reported about a series of large earthquakes that hit New Zealand. These quakes started off with the largest of the lot, which was a powerful magnitude 7.8 tremor. This large quake was quickly followed by two other earthquakes that were of magnitudes 6.2 and 5.7. There were two other tremors as well, of equal intensity that measured 5.8 on the Richter scale. While the initial earthquakes happened just after midnight, New Zealand time, the newest one occurred after daybreak.

According to witnesses, the first few quakes had caused considerable damage to homes, roads, and buildings. While there have been no other reports of serious injuries, there is a possibility of that scenario changing in the hours to come. Meanwhile, officials also confirmed that they have deployed several emergency response teams to the interior parts of the country — especially small villages and towns located near the epicenter of the quake, to offer medical help and evaluate the destruction caused.

The epicenter of the first earthquake was located around 91 km (57 miles) northeast of the city of Christchurch on the South Island of the country. The Prime Minister of New Zealand added that the tourist town of Kaikoura, about 150 km (90 miles) northeast of Christchurch was thought to be the worst affected by the quake since it was very close to the epicenter. He also said that he would be visiting the place to take stock of the situation. New Zealand’s Civil Defense declared a state of emergency for the Kaikoura region.

As was the case during the initial earthquake, people took to social media to talk about their experiences during the incident. There were some others who were busy posting pictures to Facebook or mailing them to news outlets. The string of earthquakes also resulted in a virtual shutdown of the capital city of Wellington. Making things worse for Wellington was the fact that the city is likely to face the brunt of a large storm headed their way.

While not as famous as Japan, New Zealand also happens to lie on one of the most seismically active regions on planet earth. It lies in the aptly named “Ring of Fire,” which is riddled with a wide range of volcanoes, underwater mountains, and oceanic trenches. This 40,000km-long range partially covers the entire Pacific Ocean. A staggering 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes occur within this region alone.

[Featured Image by Ross Setford/SNPA via AP]

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