News

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck New Zealand’s South Island at around 4:35am this morning, knocking out power, damaging buildings and rupturing pipes in Christchurch, the country’s second-largest city, according to reports.

The quake, which was centered about 30 kilometers northwest of Christchurch, ruptured sewer lines and water pipes and closed the city’s airport, Radio New Zealand reported. Some building facades had collapsed. There were no initial reports of serious injuries.

The National Crisis Management Centre was activated to monitor the situation, said John Hamilton, director of Civil Defence & Emergency Management, in an e-mailed statement.

Aftershocks followed the initial 4:35 a.m. tremor, including one of magnitude 5.7 at 4:53 a.m., the U.S. Geological Survey said on its website.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake didn’t pose a tsunami threat.

Tremors were felt as far away as Greymouth, about 166 kilometers away, and in Dunedin, about 309 kilometers away, according to Radio New Zealand.

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