New Zealand quake causes no damage

No damage has been reported following an earthquake in New Zealand, although gap year travellers have been urged to follow the advice of local authorities.

A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the south coast of New Zealand yesterday (August 5th), with the centre located 116 miles from the town of Invercargill, the United States Geological Survey reports.

It comes less than a month after another earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 was recorded in an uninhabited part of the country on July 15th.

No damage was reported in this event either, although the Foreign and Commonwealth Office warned that tourists and gap year travellers should follow the advice of the local authorities following any such disaster.

Geoscience Australia seismologist David Jepson told Reuters that this latest quake was likely to be an aftershock of the first.

"This event is basically the earth responding from that previous large event, so it is an aftershock of the large event," he added.

( Last Updated: 2009-08-07 10:03:58)