No casualties reported as powerful quake hits New Zealand's north island

Wellington: A powerful earthquake has struck New Zealand's North Island but there are no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The US Geological Survey reports the earthquake had a magnitude of 5.3. Another agency in New Zealand, GeoNet, has measured the earthquake Tuesday at magnitude-6.5.

The epicentre was about 72km southwest of Rotorua and shaking could be felt as far away as central Wellington. According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake hit at 3.36pm New Zealand time.

Christchurch in New Zealand's south was struck by a magnitude-7.1 earthquake in September and a devastating magnitude-6.3 quake in February that killed 181 people and crippled much of the city.