New Zealand's North Island Jolted

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit New Zealand's North Island on Monday at 3:26 a.m., but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. New Zealand's Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences reported that the tremor was centered north of the city of Waiouru, about 135 miles north of the capital, Wellington.

Shaking was strongly felt in Wellington as well as across the North Island, from Wanganui on its west coast to Hawke's Bay on its east coast. Seismologist Terry Webb reported that the quake had occurred at a depth of 64 miles beneath the surface of the earth, which accounted for its widespread shaking.