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5.8 magnitude quake hits New Zealand's North Island

07 December 2012 23:52 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale struck New Zealand's North Island on Saturday morning, no damages were reported so far, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The quake struck 25 kilometers southeast of Waikato town of Tokoroa, at a depth of 196 km at 07:19 a.m. (18:19 GMT Dec. 7), New Zealand government geological agency GNS Science said.

But the U.S. Geological Survey put the quake at 6.3 on the Richter scale.

The quake has been felt in various parts of the North Island including Gisborne, Napier, Palmerston North, Wellington and even the South Islan city of Christchurch.

Xinhua reporters in Wellington, which is 345 km south of Tokoroa, felt the quake which lasted for about 15 to 20 seconds.

GNS Science said it was a "decent subduction zone quake" which equals deep and felt widely, though it is often not felt where it happened.