Magnitude 6.8 earthquake hits New Zealand's Riverton coast
The earthquake, which struck at a depth of 10 kms, was initially recorded at 7 magnitude.
A massive earthquake of magnitude 6.8 sent tremors off the coast of Riverton in New Zealand on Tuesday, said the United States Geological Survey.
The quake, which initially was recorded at 7 magnitude, struck at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) off the southwest tip of the South Island, the USGS said. So far, no tsunami warning has been issued for the region.
As per the USGS website, there have been green alerts for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses, as per which it has concluded that there are low chances of casualties and damage.
Further, it said that the population residing in the quake-hit region live in structures that are highly resistant to earthquakes, with an exception of some vulnerable structures.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's emergency management agency said that it was "assessing whether the earthquake has created a tsunami that could affect" the country.
In a national advisory, the agency said, "If a tsunami has been generated in this location it is not likely to arrive in New Zealand for at least one hour."
Previously, a 6.3 magnitude that struck Christchurch in 2011 had killed 185 people.
According to USGS the eastern margin of the Australia plate is one of the most seismically active areas of the world due to the high rates of convergence between the Australia and Pacific plates.
In New Zealand, it said, the 3000 km-long Australia-Pacific plate boundary extends from south of Macquarie Island to the southern Kermadec Island chain.
Since 1900, around 15 instances of magnitude 7.5 plus earthquakes have been recorded near New Zealand. Nine of these, and the four largest ones, occurred near the Macquarie Ridge, including the 1989's destructive 8.2 magnitude on the ridge itself.
The largest earthquake recorded in New Zealand itself was in 1931, the 7.8 magnitude Hawke's Bay earthquake, which claimed the lives of 256 people.
