The earthquake, the largest in the country this year, hit at 9.14 AM (2114 GMT) Wednesday at a focal depth of 11 km (7 miles).

Wellington: A massive earthquake of 6.0 magnitude struck near Geraldine in the centre of New Zealand’s South Island, government seismic monitor Geonet said on Wednesday, but initial reports indicate no injuries or significant damage. However, New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency said the quake didn’t pose any tsunami risk.

The earthquake, the largest in the country this year, hit at 9.14 AM (2114 GMT) Wednesday at a focal depth of 11 km (7 miles). GeoNet said more than 14,000 people had reported feeling the shake, some as far north as Auckland in the North Island.

Sarah Hussey, a farmer close to the epicentre, told Reuters that the quake had been stronger than others she remembered. “There’s no damage here, but I thought it was thunder for a start. The house lifted up for a bit,” she told TVNZ’s 1News.

Scott Shannon, deputy mayor of Timaru near the centre of the earthquake, told Radio NZ there had been no immediate reports of damage, but checks were ongoing.

The quake struck not far from where a 6.3 magnitude quake hit in 2011, killing 185 people and causing major damage in the South Island city of Christchurch.

GeoNet said more than 14,000 people had reported feeling the shake, some as far north as Auckland in the North Island.

Rebecca Chapman, who was working at Cafe Verde in Geraldine, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the epicentre told AFP that “Nothing broke, but the lights were shaking. It was a bit scary. One of the customers was distressed as they had experienced the Christchurch earthquake.”

New Zealand is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide, and experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity. Notably, New Zealand, which is home to 5 million people, is sometimes jokingly called the Shaky Isles due to the number of quakes it experiences.