WELLINGTON: A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked New Zealand early Friday, the US Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was issued.
The shallow tremor was estimated at a depth of around 30 kilometres (18 miles) off the coast of the country's north island, some 167 kilometres from Gisborne, according to the agency.
However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a warning following the quake and there were no immediate reports of causalities.
New Zealand is on the boundary of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, which form part of the so-called "Ring of Fire", and experiences up to 15,000 tremors a year.