Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake Jolts New Zealand, Epicenter Near Wellington

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck near the New Zealand capital Wellington on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of damage. It occurred at 19:38 local time (0638 GMT), striking 50 km northwest of Paraparaumu, a town in the southwestern North Island of New Zealand, 55 km north of the nation`s capital city, Wellington, at a depth of 57.4 km, said the GNS Science, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Wellington is on the southern end of the more populous North Island, which is responding to a cyclone this week that has left four people dead and is the South Pacific nation's most destructive weather event in decades.

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While Cyclone Gabrielle is moving away from New Zealand, an unrelated weather system is forecast to bring more heavy rain in the days ahead, which will increase risks of further landslides and flooding.

The nation of 5 million people sits on the ?Ring of Fire,? an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes are common.

An earthquake in Christchurch on the South Island in 2011 killed 185 people and destroyed thousands of homes and buildings.