Magnitude 5.6 quake strikes New Zealand, shakes capital Wellington

21 February 2022 - 06:51 By Reuters

New Zealand Covid-19 protesters recently occupied parliament grounds in Wellington on South Island. Strong shaking was felt in the capital when an earthquake struck the area on the weekend.
Image: Bloomberg

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck New Zealand near the South Island town of Blenheim on Monday at a depth of 30km, government seismic monitor Geonet said.

A Reuters witness felt strong shaking in the capital Wellington. No immediate damage or injuries were reported.

New Zealand lies on the seismically active “Ring of Fire”, a 40,000-km arc of volcanoes and ocean trenches girdling much of the Pacific Ocean.