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Strong aftershocks continue in New Zealand's Southland

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-07-17 20:08

WELLINGTON: People in New Zealand's Southland were urged to prepare for a civil emergency as strong aftershocks continued to rock the southern region on Friday, following Wednesday night's 7.8 magnitude earthquake.

Four tremors measuring over five on Richter scale hit the area on Friday morning, the New Zealand Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS Science) reported.

Related readings:  Tsunami generated off New Zealand after M7.8 earthquake  Strong earthquake hits near New Zealand   Antarctic research center relocates to New Zealand

Wednesday's quake, centered 100 km northwest of Tuatapere and 12 km deep, struck at 9:22 p.m. (0922 GMT) and triggered an alert from the Pacific tsunami warning center in Hawaii.

The warning was canceled after only two small waves were recorded on the south coast of the South Island. No one was injured in the quake.

Southland Civil Defense regional controller Neil Cruickshank said the aftershocks were a normal consequence of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, and warned people not to be complacent about the apparent lack of widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure.

"The scientists are still considering what combination of geographical and geological factors have influenced the impact of this particular earthquake," the New Zealand Press Association quoted him as saying.

"People in coastal communities need to be aware that the quake did generate a small tsunami on Wednesday night, and that the potential for a damaging tsunami exists with every large earthquake," he said.

He suggested that residents checked their emergency supplies and stock up on essentials this weekend.

The Earthquake Commission had received more than 500 claims by Friday afternoon, but none was for major damage.

Geologists say that most of the energy from the 7.8 magnitude quake dissipated into soft rocks to the west.

Canterbury University earthquake expert Mark Quigley said the fact that the aftershocks, 13 of them by 7 p.m. Friday, have not ruptured the onshore alpine fault could actually put more stress on it, according to Radio New Zealand.

Quigley said magnitude 8 earthquakes occur every 200-300 years and the last one was registered in 1717, so the next one is overdue.

New Zealand Civil Defense director John Hamilton said it is a timely reminder for people to be prepared, as it is a matter of when, not if, a major emergency occurs.