5.3 Magnitude Earthquake Hits New Zealand’s Cook Strait

5.3 Magnitude Earthquake Hits New Zealand’s Cook Strait
(GeoNet)
Zachary Stieber
8/1/2013
Updated:
7/18/2015

A 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit New Zealand at 10:56 p.m. Sydney time on August 1, causing damage up to 11 miles away and being felt by people up to 141 miles away, according to Geoscience Australia.

GeoNet, the New Zealand earthquake monitoring agency, reported the earthquake at 4.9 magnitude, and classified its intensity as strong. 

The quake was followed by a 4.1 magnitude aftershock at 11:55 a.m. at the same spot as the first one, which was 11 miles down beneath the Cook Strait, and 18 miles east of Seddon.

Almost 2000 people have registered on the GeoNet website that they felt the shaking, according to Sky News.

There have been more than 2000 tremors since July 19.

The area has been almost constantly rocked by earthquakes and aftershocks after last month’s 6.5 magnitude earthquake.