Earthquake of 5.9 magnitude rattles New Zealand

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Wellington (New Zealand): An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale struck New Zealand on Thursday, United States Geological Survey said.

The epicentre of the quake, which occurred at around 7:14 pm (UTC), was registered at a depth of 33 kilometres. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to the property as a result of the quake.

New Zealand lies in the 'Ring of Fire', an area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean, which is vulnerable to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

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