(MENAFN) A moderate earthquake measuring magnitude 4.9 struck northwest of Wellington, New Zealand’s capital, on Thursday evening, according to GeoNet, the nation’s official geological hazard monitoring agency.

The tremor was recorded at 9:09 p.m. local time (8:09 a.m. GMT), with its epicenter located 25 kilometers northwest of Wellington on the North Island, at a depth of 22 kilometers, GeoNet said in its initial report.

People living throughout the lower North Island and the upper South Island experienced the tremor, with almost 30,000 individuals quickly submitting reports of the shaking through GeoNet’s online platform. Many described feeling a sudden, sharp jolt that lasted a few seconds before giving way to a rolling motion.

Emergency responders indicated that they had not received any immediate reports of injuries or serious damage to buildings, and GeoNet confirmed that no casualties or property damage had been recorded.

While seismologists classified the event as moderate, experts noted that quakes of this size near population centers can still serve as reminders of New Zealand’s seismic volatility. The country lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most active earthquake zones, where tectonic plates frequently grind against one another beneath the surface.

Authorities have urged residents to review their emergency preparedness plans and remain alert for possible aftershocks, though none of significant magnitude had been detected as of late Thursday.

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