No damage reported after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake hits off New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the west coast of New Zealand Wednesday, but authorities reported no damage and issued no tsunami warning.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake occurred shortly after 1 a.m. local time. It was 187 miles (300 kilometers) southwest of Invercargill, New Zealand, and six miles (10 kilometers) under the sea.

The quake was not felt in New Zealand, according to the country’s geological sciences agency.

USGS later reported a 6.8-magnitude quake in what it called the Macquarie Island region, more than 700 miles (1,200 kilometers) northeast of Invercargill at a depth of less than three miles.

New Zealand, which is home to 5 million people, sits on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanoes are common.