Our chimney thought it would introduce itself to the neighbours #eqnz pic.twitter.com/GTOpJeD49r — Richard Bicknell (@dickbicknell) November 13, 2016

People in New Zealand are being urged to head to high ground or inland as far as possible after a powerful earthquake struck outside Christchurch. The magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck just after midnight in a mostly rural area close to the city of Christchurch, but appeared to be more strongly felt in Wellington, the capital, more than 200 kilometers (120 miles) to the north. It was at a relatively shallow depth of six miles and was followed by numerous powerful aftershocks ranging from magnitude 5.7 to 7.4. “They’re all very, very tired and concerned about the state of their property.”

Prime Minister John Key said waves of about 2 meters (6.6 feet) hit the coast but the tsunami threat had since been downgraded to coastal warnings. (Ross Setford/SNPA via AP) People evacuated from the Quest On the Terrace Hotel gather outside the hotel in Wellington after a 6.6 earthquake based around Cheviot in the South island shock the capital, New Zealand, Monday, Nov. 14, 2016. While there were no immediate reports of any major damage or injuries in Christchurch, the quake brought back memories of a magnitude-6.3 earthquake that struck the city in 2011, destroying much of the downtown area and killing 185 people in one of New Zealand's worst disasters. New Zealand’s Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management reported that a tsunami wave struck at about 1:50 a.m. and warned residents living in low-lying areas anywhere along the country’s east coast to move to higher ground. Information from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center indicated that the tsunami waves could be highest around the South Island town of Kaikoura, at about 1.5 meters (5 feet). The ministry initially said there was no threat but later wrote on Twitter “situation has changed – tsunami is possible” before reporting that a tsunami had hit. “We were asleep and woken to the house shaking, it kept going and going and felt like it was going to build up.”

The main tremor was followed by a series of strong aftershocks and there were reports of damaged houses. “It’s just utter devastation, I just don’t know ... that’s months of work,” New Zealand Prime Minister John Key told Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee after flying over the coastal town of Kaikoura, according to Brownlee’s Twitter account. “We’re all just really shaken.”

In Wellington, 214 kilometers (132 miles) north of the quake’s epicenter, power was knocked out in some places, and some windows were smashed and some chimneys collapsed. Emergency response teams flew by helicopter to the region at the epicenter of the tremor, which struck just after midnight some 91 km (57 miles) northeast of Christchurch in the South Island, amid reports of injuries and collapsed buildings. A tsunami warning has been issued by the country’s government after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck – more powerful than the 2011 quake which measured 6.3. Earthquakes tend to be more strongly felt on the surface when they are shallow. New Zealand is on the boundary of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, which form part of the so-called “Ring of Fire”, and experiences up to 15,000 tremors a year.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes north of Christchurch, New Zealand, in the early hours Monday, triggering tsunami warnings and causing widespread damage. At least two people are reported killed.