Earthquake shakes New Zealand

The geological service of the United States, which register seismic activity worldwide, reported that the North of the South Island of New Zealand was shook yesterday by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake, however, so far authorities have not reported victims or any tsunami alert.

The epicenter was located 10 kilometers deep under the sea,  27 km southwest of the town of Blenheim or 94 kilometers from Wellington on the North Island.

On February 22, 2011, 185 people were killed due to an earthquake of 6.3 degrees of magnitude that shook the city of Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand, and  damaged 30 000 buildings.

New Zealand is located between the tectonic plates of the Pacific and Oceania and annually registers about 14,000 earthquakes, of which between 100 and 150 are powerful enough and can be perceived.