Magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes near Christchurch

[NEW ZEALAND] An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 stuck 91 km north-northeast of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand at 1102 GMT on Sunday, the US Geological Survey said.

New Zealand's Civil Defence issued a tsunami warning, advising residents on the South Island's east coast to seek higher ground.

Civil Defence said it was too early to assess the damage or whether there had been any injuries or deaths. "The whole house rolled like a serpent and some things smashed, the power went out," a woman who gave her name as Elizabeth told Radio New Zealand from her home in Takaka, near the top of the South Island.

REUTERS