An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 struck close to the New Zealand city of Christchurch today, the US Geological Survey reported, but there were no reports of damage or casualties.
The earthquake was measured only about 14km northeast of the city.
It was another in a series of quakes that have rattled the city since a major earthquake killed almost 200 people there 10 months ago.
A quake of a similar magnitude was felt in the area on 23 December, sending terrified residents from their houses but causing no casualties or major damage.
Christchurch, the largest city in New Zealand's South Island, is still recovering from a quake measuring 6.3 that left 182 people dead in February and caused up to NZ$20 billion in damage.
Large areas of Christchurch's business district are still off limits after the February quake, which toppled the city's famous cathedral, as well as shops, office buildings and homes.
New Zealand straddles the boundaries of the Indo-Australian and the Pacific tectonic plates.
It is hit by about 14,000 quakes every year, of which only a small number top a magnitude of 5.
