Jacinda Ardern pauses briefly as earthquake hits New Zealand’s capital, Wellington
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, paused briefly on Friday because of the earthquake in the capital, Wellington, when she was addressing the nation at a coronavirus briefing, but then continued to speak.
According to GeoNet, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Wellington and surrounding areas, with its epicenter 35 km (21.75 mi) south-west of Taumarunui in the central North Island. Although the aftershocks were widely felt, there were no reports of damage or injuries. The US Geological Survey has put its magnitude at 5.6.
When the shaking began, Ardern grabbed her podium, smiled, and asked a reporter a question: “Sorry, a little distracting… Would you mind repeating that question?”
He told reporters at the end of the event that Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, who was also on stage, was not entirely sure it was an earthquake and wondered if it was just a strong wind.
The only deal I want to sign between the UK and New Zealand is Prime Minister’s Trade.
While Boris Johnson paints in a luxury villa during the national crisis. Here Jacinda Ardern gives a COVID press conference during a magnitude 5.9 earthquake. pic.twitter.com/Sr5vw02r8U
— Dr. Jennifer Cassidy (@OxfordDiplomat) 22 October 2021
New Zealand often experiences earthquakes of weak to moderate intensity because it is located on a seismically active “Ring of Fire”, a 40,000-km (24,855-mi) arc of volcanoes and ocean trenches that encircle much of the Pacific Ocean. Huh.
The city of Christchurch is still recovering from a magnitude 6.3 earthquake in 2011 that killed 185 people.
In 2016, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the South Island city of Kaikoura, killing two and causing billions of dollars in damage, including the capital Wellington, which is on the North Island.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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