A strong earthquake shook the South Island of New Zealand on Thursday, prompting authorities to briefly issue and then cancel a tsunami warning along the west coast. 

The quake struck near the town of Te Anau, gateway to the popular Fiordland tourist region, with its epicentre located roughly 40 kilometres north of the town.

New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency initially assessed the tremor at a much higher magnitude before revising it downward, with international monitors including Germany’s Research Centre for Geosciences placing the reading at around 5.6 to 5.9.

The quake struck in the evening local time and was felt strongly across much of the southern half of the South Island, rattling buildings and waking residents in the region.

Authorities swiftly issued a tsunami warning covering the west coast stretching from Milford Sound to Puysegur Point, urging residents in the affected zones to evacuate immediately even in areas where the shaking may not have been strongly felt.

The warning was lifted a short time later after further assessment, though officials cautioned that coastal communities should still expect strong and unpredictable currents and sudden surges at the shoreline in the hours following the quake.

The National Emergency Management Agency advised people to stay out of the water, move off beaches, and avoid harbours, marinas and rivers as a precaution. No immediate reports of injuries or significant structural damage emerged in the aftermath of the earthquake.

New Zealand sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically volatile belt encircling much of the Pacific Basin, making the country one of the most earthquake-prone in the world. The South Island in particular has a history of notable seismic activity, and Thursday’s quake adds to a long list of tremors that have tested the region’s emergency response systems in recent years.

Photo Credit: India Today