Earthquake rattles parts of New Zealand

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WELLINGTON, New Zealand, July 3 (UPI) -- A powerful earthquake was felt across parts of New Zealand Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Service said.

The USGS said the earthquake, centered about 107 miles from Wellington, had a magnitude of 6.2, but Geonet reported the quake was a 7-magnitude, Radio New Zealand reported.

The earthquake, which lasted about a half-minute, was felt from the Bay of Plenty on the North Island to Dunedin on the South Island, Radio New Zealand said.

The Wellington Region Emergency Management Office said the earthquake did not trigger a tsunami threat, the New Zealand Herald said.

Officials said they did not receive reports of significant damage, although some items were knocked off store shelves in Whanganui.

"It is at a depth of 257 kilometers [about 160 miles], which means we are pretty lucky at the moment," a fire official in Wellington told the Herald.

A 3.8-magnitude aftershock was recorded about 9 miles east of Christchurch, officials said.