Earthquake measuring 5.7 magnitude felt in New Zealand capital

New Zealand`s capital city Wellington was rocked by 5.7 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, according to the country`s earthquake monitoring service.

The quake`s epicentre was 35 km (22 miles) southeast of St Arnaud, a small town in the north of the country`s South Island, at a depth of 62 km (13 miles), according to Geonet`s website.

Reuters witnesses felt shaking in Wellington, which has a population of around 450,000. There were no initial reports of damage or injury.

Earthquakes are common in New Zealand, whose two islands lie along the Australia-Pacific tectonic plate boundary. A shallow 6.3 magnitude earthquake devastated the South Island`s Canterbury region in 2011, resulting in nearly 200 deaths and levelling Christchurch, the country`s second largest city.