New Zealand hit by earthquake of magnitude 6.4

Thousands of people across the country felt the ‘solid’ quake but there were no early reports of damage

A strong earthquake has jolted New Zealand’s South Island, but there have been no early reports of damage.

GeoNet reported a quake of magnitude 6.4 struck 35km north of the Canterbury town of Methven about 6.48am on Tuesday at a depth of 10km, with at least six aftershocks measured in the Arthur’s Pass area.

People from Waikato, in the North Island, to Southland on the southernmost tip of South Island reported feeling the initial quake.

Fiona Neale of the Arthur’s Pass Alpine motel said she got “quite a jolt”.

“I was asleep, but a quake like that will wake you up,” she said. “It went for about 15 seconds or so. It was fairly solid.”

More than 2,200 people reported feeling the quake, GeoNet said, some as far away as Paeroa in Waikato which is about 900km away.

Police and the fire service had no early reports of damage.