New Zealand
Local residents Chris and Viv Young look at the damage caused by an earthquake, along State Highway One near the town of WardReuters

An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale jolted New Zealand' North Island on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said.

The quake, which occurred at 2.13 a.m., was initially centered at 39.0541 degrees south latitude and 174.9766 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 227.28 km, reports Xinhua news agency.

There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties.