UPDATE 2 - Powerful earthquake hits east New Zealand

UPDATES THROUGHOUT

By Recep Sakar

MELBOURNE, Australia (AA) - A powerful earthquake has struck eastern New Zealand, shaking several cities in the area including the capital Wellington.

The United States Geological Survey reported that the magnitude 7.4 temblor struck around 93 kilometers (57.8 miles) northeast of Christchurch, the largest city in the country’s South Island, shortly after midnight Sunday.

It occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, however, said on its Twitter account that there was a tsunami threat for the east coast including Christchurch, Wellington and the Chatham islands.

It advised residents of coastal South Island to move to higher ground and warned that a tsunami could also arrive in North Island.

The New Zealand Herald reported that sirens could be heard in Wellington, where residents were spotted crying on the streets.

Some houses in Cheviot were reportedly “badly affected” by the tremors.

According to police, emergency lines that went out of operation after the earthquake were again cut off.

New Zealand sits on the Ring of Fire, an area in the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.