After a magnitude 5.9 earthquake reverberated near Te Anau, a town in New Zealand’s South Island, officials have lifted the tsunami warning initially issued late Thursday night.
The quake struck approximately 40 kilometers north of Te Anau, a quaint town known as the starting point for tourists exploring Fiordland. As per the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) of New Zealand, no immediate damages or injuries were reported following the seismic event.
Originally estimated at a magnitude of 6.3, the earthquake’s force was later adjusted to 5.9 by NEMA. The tremor occurred at 9:14 PM local time (or 7:14 PM AEST).
NEMA decided to cancel the tsunami alert after two hours passed without any tsunami activity detected in the area.
Nevertheless, the agency cautioned that coastal regions might still encounter “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges along the shore,” advising continued vigilance.
It said people should move out of the water, off beaches, and stay away from harbours, marinas and rivers.
Local resident Maylene Puyat, the duty manager at Te Anau’s Fiordland Hotel, told Reuters the earthquake was “a bit strong” and she felt shaking for one minute.
“In the hotel, it’s shaking, but nothing moved in the hotel,” she said.
Another resident told local outlet Otago Daily Times the earthquake shaking was “long and loud” and sounded “like a train”.
“The walls were definitely moving,” they said.
There were more than 18,000 “felt reports” to hazard monitoring system GeoNet.