A magnitude 6.7 earthquake off the coast of New Zealand’s South Island has sparked fears of a possible tsunami.

The earthquake struck at 2.42pm (NZDT) on Tuesday at a depth of 12km about 160km northwest of Snares Islands, and was felt by thousands in the vicinity on the mainland. 

NZ’s National Emergency Management Agency urged residents in nearby regions to stay clear of beaches.

‘Residents of Southland and Fiordland should stay away from beach and marine areas as strong and unusual currents may present a danger,’ the alert read.

‘Strong currents and surges can injure and drown people. There is a danger to swimmers, surfers, people fishing, and anyone in or near the water close to shore.’

‘People in or near the sea in the following areas should move out of the water, off beaches and shore areas and away from harbours, marinas, rivers and estuaries.’ 

There is no official evacuation warning for the area, however authorities have urged residents to self-evacuate in the case of ‘immediately from all places near the coast where the earthquake was felt either for longer than a minute OR was strong enough that it was hard to stand’.

‘In these areas a tsunami may have been generated and may arrive quickly, so evacuate immediately to the nearest high ground, out of all tsunami evacuation zones, or as far inland as possible.’

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck off the coast of NZ’s South Island about 12.42pm (AEDT) on Tuesday

The Bureau of Meteorology said there is no current tsunami threat to Australia 

The risk of dangerous and unusual currents is expected to diminish later on Tuesday night. 

The Bureau of Meteorology advised there is currently no tsunami threat to Australia following the earthquake. 

More than 4,700 Kiwis would have felt the earthquake, according to government seismic monitor Geonet. 

There are local reports of furniture falling and buildings swaying near to the earthquake zone. 

‘We had things fall off shelf. The outdoor wooden table dancing,’ a resident posted on Facebook.

A coastal sea-level gauge reportedly recorded a 10cm tsunami which lasted for 90 minutes after the earthquake in south-west Fiordland, on the south-western tip of South Island. 

The earthquake struck near the tectonic plate boundary where the Australian plate scrapes under the Pacific plate in an area known as the Puysegur Trench. 

The earthquake struck near Fiordland National Park (above) in New Zealand

Scientist know comparatively little about the region. 

‘This area is actually very poorly understood,’ Seismologist Dr Finn Illsley-Kemp told the NZ Herald

‘There’s been far less research done here compared to other regions, leaving many unknowns about the exact tectonics – but it’s hosted some of our biggest earthquakes.’