Strong earthquake rattles New Zealand's north island
By Jeff Black, Staff Writer, NBC News
A strong earthquake — a magnitude 6.3 — rattled New Zealand's north island on Monday evening, centered about 40 miles southeast of the town of Palmerston, the U.S. Geological Society said.
Some people in the north part of Palmerson reported items toppling off shelves, and another resident said concrete sinking from the shaking, the Dominion Post in Wellington reported.
The quake struck about 3.52 p.m., GeoNet, New Zealand's seismology agency, said.
"It was a really shaking and rolling - it went on for about 30 seconds," Heather Gowans, who lives about 24 miles from the epicenter, told the news outlet. She said her partner managed to grab a television before it fell over. "Everything was swaying and the place was creaking and groaning- but luckily nothing is broken," Gowans said.
The New Zealand Herald reported that a giant eagle that hangs from the ceiling of Wellington airport to promote the Hobbit trilogy fell down because of the quake.
No injuries were immediately reported.