New Zealand has issued a tsunami warning amid multiple tremors following a 7.4 earthquake that rocked the country's South Island.
The epicentre was recorded 57 miles north-northeast of Christchurch on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island.
It struck at the shallow depth of 3.1 miles, 28 miles from the town of Amberley which has a population of 2,000 people.
New Zealand's Civil Defence authority has told South Island residents living on the east coast and those living on the nearby Chatham islands to move to higher ground.
The first waves to hit the east coast as high as 2.5m have been reported but authorities have warned residents later waves may be higher.
The authority tweeted: "Situation has changed - tsunami is possible. People near the coast in the South Island should move to high ground or inland."
Tremors were felt as far afield as the cities of Dunedin to the south and Wellington on North Island, reports the New Zealand Herald.
There have been reports of serious damage of houses in the town of Cheviot on the South Island's east coast.
Wayne Timmo from Hamilton in the north east of North Island told Stuff.co.nz: "The water in the neighbour's swimming pool was left sloshing around for about a minute and people woken by the quake came out onto the street to talk about it.
"The cat has disappeared and the neighbours dog is upset."
Mr Timmo said he woke to sound of blinds banging against the windows describing the quake feeling like "a long slow, rolling or almost rotating motion."
In 2011, 185 died when a quake struck Christchurch. The city's central business district is still recovering from the disaster with piles of bricks, ruined and abandoned buildings dotting the streets.
Memorial plaques mark the spot where each of the 2011 quake victims died, and the city's cathedral in the main square has been left half-ruined after it was deemed too dangerous to repair.
The Antipodean country lies on the volatile Ring of Fire on the Pacific rim which is known for erupting volcanoes and frequent seismic disturbances.
