By DPA
Wellington : A major earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck New Zealand Thursday evening, causing considerable damage in the city of Gisborne on the east coast of the North Island.
Three buildings collapsed in the city centre, windows of half a dozen shops were smashed and about 10 fires broke out but fire fighters brought them under control, Gisborne mayor Meng Foon told Radio New Zealand,
He said about 10 people had been treated for minor injuries at the city’s hospital which was blacked out by a power cut, but there were no reports of major casualties.
A police spokesman was quoted on the New Zealand Herald website as saying, “There were holes opening up in some streets, partial building collapses in some areas and lots of glass on the streets.
“We have got a lot of damage and are still assessing the situation,” he said.
Centred out to sea 50 km off Gisborne, the quake was reportedly felt 1,250 km away in the South Island city of Dunedin, according to Radio New Zealand.
Civil defence officials activated the national crisis management centre in Wellington amid reports of cuts in power and telephone services and burst water pipes in Gisborne, which has a population of about 33,000.
Civil defence director John Hamilton said scientific experts had advised that there was little risk of a tsunami because the quake was centred 40 km below the surface.