A 5.6 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of New Zealand between North and South Islands.
The tremor occurred at 11.53am on Friday in the sea, equidistant between New Plymouth and Nelson.
More than 20,000 people reported feeling the earthquake, including in the capital Wellington an hour before the Women’s World Cup quarter-final between Spain and Netherlands.
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The earthquake, at a depth of 170km, was felt at the stadium.
It is the second earthquake the Spanish players would have felt during their stay in New Zealand.
On leaving their training base in Palmerston North due to boredom, they arrived in Wellington as a 4.6 magnitude quake struck nearby Paraparaumu.
While that tremor was of less intensity, its epicentre was closer to Wellington and at a relatively shallow depth of 40km — meaning it was reported to have been felt by roughly the same number of people.
“Spain, Netherlands, are you nervous before your big #FIFAWWC quarterfinal? Here, have an #eqnz,” Paul Bruere posted on social media site X.
Peter Griffin posted on the same website: “Yikes, rolling and juddery in Welly just now.”
