A magnitude 5.9 earthquake has struck New Zealand, sending shockwaves that were felt across North Island – including by Jacinda Ardern, who was in the middle of a press conference.
The prime minister, who was speaking about the country’s new traffic light Covid framework in Wellington, was being asked a question by a reporter when the earthquake hit on Thursday morning.
Keeping her cool, she waited for the tremors to subside before turning back to the reporter and asking for the question to be repeated because of the “slight distraction”.
The earthquake, which hit 30km southwest of Taumarunui, was felt by thousands of people in New Zealand just before 11am.
There were no initial reports of any damage or injuries caused by the earthquake, but significant damage is unlikely as it struck at a depth of 223km.
This story is being updated.
