An earthquake of magnitude 7.4 has hit New Zealand near Christchurch, experts have said.
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.
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."
He said 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 marking the spot each of the quake victims died.
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.
