New Zealand hit by earthquakes

2004-07-19 08:51

Auckland - A series of minor earthquakes were continuing to rattle New Zealand on Monday after leaving one person dead at the weekend, authorities said.

The earthquake swarm was focused on a farming and forestry area already badly hit by floods and severe storms battering the eastern Bay of Plenty province in the North Island.

Around 30 quakes, the strongest at 5.4 on the Richter scale, had occurred in 24 hours up until Monday morning in an area 20 kilometres from Kawerau, 120 kilometres southeast of Auckland.

Police said a woman was killed when an earthquake toppled a tree onto a car, while an elderly woman was killed when floodwaters hit her home.

Craig Miller of the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences said about a dozen of the earthquakes could be felt.

"(Earthquake swarms) are not uncommon but this is probably the largest one for a while."

The area is heavily seismic and volcanic.

On Monday, the earthquakes were continuing to cause landslides in an area already drenched from rain. The flooding has forced authorities to evacuate around 1 500 people from their homes.

Prime Minister Helen Clark and Civil Defence Minister George Hawkins were due to visit Bay of Plenty where a civil state of emergency has been declared.

- AFP