New Zealand’s Ardern maintains continuity as live event disrupting earthquake | world News

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WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern paused briefly after an earthquake rocked the capital Wellington on Friday while addressing the nation at a coronavirus briefing, but continued afterward.

Wellington and its vicinity were jolted by a 5.9-magnitude earthquake with an epicenter 35 kilometers (21.75 miles) southwest of Taomarunui in the central North Island, according to Geonet. While the shaking was widely felt, there were no reports of damage or injuries. The USGS estimated the strength at 5.6.

Ardern held her platform briefly when the shaking started, and smiled, telling a reporter who asked a question, “Sorry, a slight distraction… Would you mind repeating that question?”

She told reporters at the end of the event that Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, who was also on stage, wasn’t entirely convinced it was an earthquake and she wondered if it was just a strong wind.

New Zealand often experiences weak to moderate earthquakes because it lies on the seismically active “Ring of Fire,” the 40,000-kilometre (24,855-mile) arc of volcanoes and ocean trenches that encircles most of the Pacific Ocean.

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Christchurch is still recovering from a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in 2011 that killed 185 people.

In 2016, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the South Island town of Kaikoura, killing two people and causing billions of dollars in damage, including in the North Island capital, Wellington.

(Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Sandra Mahler)

Copyright 2021 Thomson Reuters.

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