A STRONG earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 rattled the South Island of New Zealand today, a government website said.

The epicentre of the quake, which hit at 9.14am, was 124km west of Christchurch at a depth of 11km, the New Zealand government’s Geonet website said.

Via the website, around 15,000 people reported feeling the earthquake.

New Zealand sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide, and experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity. – AFP, September 20, 2023.