Quake hits New Zealand; no major damage reported

The magnitude 6.3 quake struck the country's lower North Island at a little before 4 p.m. and rattled the capital Wellington. 

 

Many residents of the city were at home because it was a public holiday.

 

There were no initial reports of major damage or injuries, although the quake was strong enough to damage some homes, trigger rockslides and road closures, and knock items from shelves.

 

The eagle sculpture in the Wellington Airport was placed there in recent months to promote director Peter Jackson's second movie in his popular trilogy. It fell from its overhead perch to the floor.

 

The United States Geological Survey estimated the quake was centered about 38 kilometers (24 miles) northeast of the town of Masterton at a depth of 27 kilometers (17 miles).

   

New Zealand lies on the Pacific's "Ring of Fire," an arc of earthquake and volcanic activity that stretches around the Pacific Rim.

 

An earthquake in the city of Christchurch in 2011 destroyed much of the downtown and killed 185 people.

 

-Sapa-AP