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5.7-magnitude quake hits New Zealand

04 December 2011 03:13 (UTC +04:00)

The government-run GeoNet monitoring service reported that the quake had occurred at 07:19 p.m. local time (06:19 GMT) on Saturday, dpa reported.

The quake was centered 40 kilometers (24 miles) west of Wellington and at a depth of 60 kilometers (37 miles).

The tremor were widely felt at the top of the South Island and the bottom of the North Island.

There were no reports of serious damages, but a number of windows on a waterfront building in the capital were broken and some residents said some items had been shaken off shelves.

New Zealand is one of the most earthquake-prone nations in the world.

The worst of New Zealandâ€™s earthquakes in recent years happened on February 22, 2011, when a 6.3-magnitude quake struck the cathedral city of Christchurch on South Island.

The natural disaster killed 181 people, destroyed thousands of houses, and left much of Christchurchâ€™s central business district in rubbles.