A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck near the town of Te Anau in New Zealand’s South Island, shaking buildings and prompting authorities to briefly issue a tsunami warning.

New Zealand authorities lifted the tsunami warning on Thursday, saying the threat had eased after a fresh assessment showed the quake’s strength had been revised downward.

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Warning downgraded

New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency said the tsunami advisory was scaled down from a full warning after finding the earthquake was actually smaller than first thought.

Right after the quake, officials had urged people in coastal areas to “move immediately” to higher ground as a precautionary measure. Once the threat eased, that advice was softened, residents were told to simply stay alert for “strong and unusual currents” along the coastline.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake struck at a depth of 76 kilometres, about 83 kilometres west of Queenstown, a popular South Island tourist spot.

Authorities had also pointed out the risk of land inundation and told people in Milford Sound, another key tourist destination, to move to higher ground.

Residents describe the earthquake

People in the region described a powerful jolt as the earthquake hit. A hotel manager in nearby Te Anau told AFP she “could hear it coming first.” She said: “The shaking was very severe. I thought it was the big one we’ve been told is coming.”

Despite the intense tremors and precautionary evacuations, no damage had been reported by Thursday night.

Another resident told that the shaking was “long and loud” and sounded “like a train,” adding, “The walls were definitely moving.”

GeoNet, the hazard monitoring system, received more than 18,000 “felt reports” from people across the region.

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FAQs

Q1: How strong was the earthquake?

Magnitude 5.9 (initially estimated at 6.3), at a depth of 76km, about 83km west of Queenstown.

Q2: Was a tsunami warning issued?

Yes, briefly. It was later downgraded to an advisory after the quake was found to be smaller than first estimated.