'Strong' quake hits New Zealand

An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck near the town of Te Anau in New Zealand's South Island, prompting the authorities to issue a tsunami warning, reports Reuters.

The epicentre of the earthquake was about 40km north of Te Anau, which is the gateway to the tourist hotspot of Fiordland, according to the New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) both pegged the earthquake at 5.9 magnitude at a depth of over 50km.