Magnitude 5.1 quake hits central North Island of New Zealand

WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s GeoNet reported that a magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit the Waikato region in the central part of the North Island of New Zealand around 1:30 a.m. Monday.

A few hours later another weaker quake occurred, reported Xinhua News Agency.Thousands of people living across the North Island felt the jolt during midnight. GeoNet calmed people by tweeting that “the deep earthquakes are typically widely felt, but usually not close to the epicentre.” –Bernama