A magnitude-5.9 earthquake struck New Zealand’s South Island on Thursday, briefly prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning.
The tremor shook buildings across the region and sent residents rushing outdoors, but authorities said there were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage.
The earthquake’s epicentre was about 40km (25 miles) north of Te Anau, which is the gateway to the tourist hotspot of Fiordland, according to New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The agency initially assessed the quake, which struck at 9.14pm local time (0914 GMT), at magnitude 6.3 before revising it downward to 5.9.
The tsunami alert was lifted, but the agency said it expected coastal areas to experience “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore”.
“People on boats, liveaboards and at marinas in these areas should leave their boats/vessels and move onto shore. Do not return to boats unless instructed by officials,” it said.
GeoNet, New Zealand’s official geological hazard monitoring agency, said more than 20,000 people had reported feeling the quake.
A local resident who works at Te Anau’s Fiordland Hotel said she felt the shaking for one minute and thought the quake was a “bit strong”.
“In the hotel, it’s shaking, but nothing moved in the hotel,” Maylene Puyat told Reuters.
Another resident told local outlet Otago Daily Times the earthquake shaking was “long and loud” and sounded “like a train”.
“The walls were definitely moving,” they said.
Residents described a loud rumble before the shaking began. A resident in Invercargill said her “bed was shaking and the house was creaking” after they “heard it rumbling before the shaking and rolling started”.
Award-winning broadcaster Marcus Lush was live on air in his Invercargill studio when the earthquake struck.
“Hang on, hang on there’s been an earthquake,” he told a caller to Marcus Lush Nights during the live.
“I’ll just try to work out whether I stay on deck or just tap out?,” he said.
“What do I do.. do I stay…Guess [there’s] really not much option,” Mr Lush said.
Te Anau is a small town on New Zealand’s South Island and the main gateway to Fiordland National Park, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations.
