Taranaki earthquake: Strong magnitude 5.3 quake strikes near New Plymouth
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck near New Plymouth, New Zealand, early in the morning, causing widespread shaking across the North Island. While many residents reported feeling strong tremors and minor household damage, authorities confirmed there is no link to volcanic activity.
Why it matters
The event serves as a significant reminder of seismic risks in the Taranaki region and the importance of emergency preparedness.
Thousands of people across the North Island felt a magnitude 5.3 earthquake that rattled Taranaki early this morning.
The quake struck 25km east of New Plymouth at a depth of 11km at 2.57am, GeoNet said.
More than 7300 people reported feeling the quake. GeoNet classified the shaking as strong.
“Remember, drop, cover and hold is the right action to take in an earthquake and when in bed, cover your head,” the earthquake-monitoring service wrote.
People on Facebook described being jolted awake by loud rumbling and sharp shaking, with some reporting items had fallen or broken.
One person said it was the “worst l ever felt in my 78 years”, while another wrote: “Might have been the longest and strongest I’ve ever experienced”.
“You could hear the massive rumble before the shaking. Was scary,” one person wrote.
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in