A 6.2-magnitude earthquake hits off New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A 6.2-magnitude earthquake has hit off the west coast of New Zealand. There is no tsunami warning.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake occurred shortly after 1 a.m. local time. It was 187 miles (300 kilometres) southwest of Invercargill, New Zealand, and six miles (10 kilometres) under the sea.

Monitors in New Zealand described the quake as moderate. There were no immediate reports of damage.

USGS later reported a 6.8-magnitude quake in what it called the Macquarie Island region, over 700 miles (1,200 kilometres) northeast of Invercargill at a depth of less than three miles.

New Zealand, which is home to 5 million people, sits on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanoes are common.