MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

'Kiwis will bounce back': New Zealand hit by quake of magnitude 6.1 amid devastation by cyclone Gabrielle

The earthquake struck with a jolt and was followed by 30 seconds of moderate shaking; no casualties have been reported

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND: An earthquake of 6.1 magnitude hit New Zealand on Wednesday, February 15 at 7.38 pm NZDT, around 50 km northwest of Paraparaumu at a depth of 76 km. More than a thousand people across both the north and south islands were affected by the terrifying quake, which had major effect on Wellington.

The earthquake struck with a jolt and was followed by 30 seconds of moderate shaking. GeoNet has labelled the quake as strong. Fortunately, as of now, no civilian casualties have been reported. However, it is still unknown how much damage the earthquake caused.

READ MORE

5.6 magnitude earthquake strikes New Zealand, 'bit of a roller coaster' notes net

'What a night': Residents devastated as 7.9 magnitude earthquake kills over 500 in Turkey and Syria

Unfortunately, this scary event occurred just after the country declared a national state of emergency due to tropical cyclone Gabrielle, which has caused widespread flooding and damage, leading to the deaths of four people and the displacement of more than 10,000 people. New Zealand lies on the seismically active "Ring of Fire," a 40,000-km arc of volcanoes and ocean trenches girdling much of the Pacific Ocean. So, they have higher chances of facing an earthquake of such a strong magnitude.

2022 Earthquake 

In 2022, an earthquake of 5.6 magnitude struck the country's southern island. It reportedly struck at a depth of 30km near the town of Seddon in the Marlborough District. The effects were felt as far away as Wellington, 79 miles away on New Zealand's northern island. This earthquake also comes just weeks after a massive volcanic eruption in Tonga.

'Kiwis will bounce back'

Prayers for the Kiwis are coming in from different parts of the world. A Twitter user tweeted, "I have just been informed about the Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake in New Zealand. My heart goes out to all of New Zealand with their ongoing dual crisis of the floods and now this earthquake." Another wrote, "Sending love to New Zealand right now....first the flooding, then the cyclone with more flooding still happening....now a 6.1 earthquake Kia kaha to my whanau... sending love and strength to you all."

Some are sending supportive messages by saying that they will make it through the tough time. A person tweeted, "Aroha to New Zealand certainly has been a wild horrible summer. Floods, Cyclone and now Earthquakes. Kiwis are a hardy lot and will bounce back. #nz". "I am BEGGGGGING world leaders to take climate change more seriously. this is absolute exhausting and terrifying," a person wrote, keeping in mind the climate change crisis and how it can cause such terrible natural calamities. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.