Moderate quake shakes central New Zealand

There were no immediate reports of injury or damage from the moderate quake, which struck at 5:32 am local time.

A magnitude five earthquake hit central New Zealand early on Monday, shaking the nation's capital, Wellington, and waking many residents, police said.

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There were no immediate reports of injury or damage from the moderate quake, which struck at 5:32 am local time (1732 GMT Sunday).

The quake was centred 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of the capital and 60 kilometers (37.5 miles) below the earth's surface, GNS Science, the nation's geological agency, said in a statement.

The quake was felt throughout the Wellington region.

New Zealand sits above an area of the earth's crust where two tectonic plates are colliding and records more than 14,000 earthquakes a year; but only about 150 are felt by residents.