A magnitude 6.8 earthquake shook New Zealand on Friday. At least six aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 or stronger were also felt. Some homes and roads were damaged.
LATEST: A large quake, felt through Manawatu, cut power in Hunterville, saw people evacuated from buildings and briefly closed the Palmerston North District Court. The Capital Connection train service from Wellington to Palmerston North has been cancelled with no bus replacements. Passengers have been asked to make their own arrangements to get home. Lifts at Palmerston North's Library stopped as they are programmed to during the earthquake. Maintenance crews were working this afternoon to get them restarted. Following this afternoon's quakes, central-city workers in Palmerston North rushed to The Square with many requiring a stress-relieving cigarette break following the quake. It measured 6.6, located 10km south east of Seddon at a depth of 8km at 2.31pm and was then followed by a 5.7 rattler at 3.52pm. Initial reports said the earliest quake was magnitude 6.9 and then 6.2.
POWER CUT TO HUNTERVILLE A series of quakes including some centred in the Rangitikei region has cut power to Hunterville. PowerCo reported the fault with an estimated fix time of 6pm tonight. Within half an hour of the major quake, a shallow 4.2 magnitude earthquake also shook Hunterville. The quake was centred 35km south of Turangi. It struck at 2.57pm at a depth of 6km. A 3.8 magnitude quake also struck at 3.06pm, at a depth of 11km, 10km south of Ohakune. Then at 3.09pm, a "severe" quake hit km north of Taihape. It was a 4.9 magnitude earthquake at a depth of 13km, Geonet says. A further aftershock was reported by Geonet near Levin at 3.27pm. The 4.5 magnitude shake was centered 10km north-east of the Horowhenua at a depth of 29km.
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