Quake jolts New Zealand; no damage reported

An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the richter scale shook a wide area of New Zealand's North Island.

An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the richter scale shook a wide area of New Zealand's North Island on Thursday, the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences reported.

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The quake, located 50 km under earth's surface, was centred near the town of Taihape and 210 km northeast of the capital Wellington.

There were no immediate reports of damage.