A magnitude 6.7 earthquake off the coast of New Zealand’s South Island has sparked fears of a possible tsunami as experts assess the danger level. 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 its vicinity.

NZ’s National Emergency Management Agency warned residents of nearby regions should 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,’ a statement on their website 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,’ an update read at 4pm local time. ‘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.’

The risk of dangerous and unusual currents is expected to diminish after 8pm local time. There is no official evacuation warning for the area, but NEMA is advising 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.’ Government seismic monitor Geonet said more than 4,700 people would have felt the earthquake. Local media published reports of furniture falling and buildings swaying near to the earthquake zone.

‘We had things fall off shelf. The outdoor wooden table dancing,’ one local wrote on Facebook. A coastal sea-level gauge reportedly recorded a 10cm tsunami which lasted for 90 minutes after the earthquake in southwest Fiordland, on the South Island’s southwestern tip. Bureau of Meteorology advised there is currently no tsunami threat to Australia following the earthquake.

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. 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.’

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