Evacuation alert after strong earthquake shakes NZ

People were called to evacuate after the severe earthquake in New Zealand’s lower South Island.

The 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck 40 kilometers north of Te Anau at a depth of 53 kilometers on Thursday night, according to national monitoring system GeoNet.

The National Emergency Management Agency issued a tsunami alert for coastal areas and told people living nearby on the South Island’s west coast, from Milford Sound to Puysegur Point, to leave the area immediately due to the possibility of land flooding.

GeoNet reported that more than 18,000 people nationwide felt the earthquake.

Te Anau is the gateway to Fiordland’s tourist hotspot.