Magnitude 5.9 earthquake shakes New Zealand, triggering a Tsunami Warning in the Pacific Ring of Fire

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck New Zealand's South Island astir 26 miles southbound of the municipality of Te Anau conscionable earlier 9:15 p.m. section clip Thursday, according to USGS.

The quake was comparatively deep, with an epicenter astir 48 miles beneath the surface.

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FILE - The highest upland successful New Zealand Mount Cook besides known arsenic Aoraki is seen at Mount Cook National Park successful the South Island, New Zealand, connected August 05, 2020. It lies amidst the Southern Alps Mountain scope and arsenic of 2020, its tallness is recorded arsenic 3724m from the oversea level.  (Photo by Sanka Vidanagama/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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The earthquake prompted New Zealand's National Emergency Agency to contented a Tsunami Warning for the westbound seashore of the South Island from Milford Sound to Puysegur Point.

"The earthquake whitethorn not person been felt successful immoderate of these areas, but evacuation should beryllium contiguous arsenic a damaging tsunami is possible," the exigency bureau said.

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According to USGS, the quake was felt crossed overmuch of the confederate fractional of the South Island.

New Zealand sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a 25,000-mile loop of volcanoes and earthquake zones surrounding overmuch of the Pacific Ocean, wherever astir 90% of the world's earthquakes occur.