Strong earthquake rattles New Zealand's South Island, tsunami alert lifted

A strong earthquake rattled New Zealand's South Island on Tuesday evening, prompting a brief tsunami warning and causing residents to feel significant shaking. The magnitude 5.9 quake struck near Te Anau, a gateway to the popular Fiordland tourist area, at 9:14 p.m. local time.

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a bit strong

New Zealand's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) initially issued a tsunami warning but later lifted it. However, the agency cautioned that coastal areas could still experience strong and unusual currents, along with unpredictable surges at the shore. Residents were advised to move away from the water, beaches, harbors, marinas, and rivers.

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In the hotel, it's shaking, but nothing moved in the hotel

Local residents described the experience vividly. Maylene Puyat, duty manager at Te Anau's Fiordland Hotel, called the earthquake "a bit strong" and noted the shaking lasted for about a minute, though nothing inside the hotel was disturbed. Another resident told the Otago Daily Times that the shaking was "long and loud," sounding "like a train," and that "the walls were definitely moving."

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long and loud

More than 18,000 people reported feeling the tremor to the GeoNet hazard monitoring system. Despite the intensity of the shaking and the initial tsunami alert, there were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage.

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like a train