1st LD Writethru: 5.5-magnitude quake hits northeast of New Zealand's Milford Sound

WELLINGTON, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck 40 km northeast of Milford Sound on New Zealand's South Island on Wednesday, the country's earthquake monitoring agency GeoNet reported.

The quake, at a depth of 5 km, struck at 6:13 p.m. local time, and nearly 7,000 people had reported feeling it, according to GeoNet.

The tremor was followed by a 5.6-magnitude quake at 6:57 p.m., also recorded at a depth of 5 km, the agency said.

The two earthquakes were classified by GeoNet as moderate in intensity. They were followed by weaker quakes measuring 4.8 at 7:12 p.m. and 4.6 at 7:39 p.m., both classified as light.

The area has experienced several light shakes in recent days, with the strongest measuring up to magnitude 4.8 on Aug. 26, GeoNet reported. Enditem