A massive 7.4 earthquake hit the New Zealand city of Christchurch early Saturday, causing widespread damage and cutting power and water supplies, dpa reported.
Many buildings were reported flattened and roads blocked by falling debris from the quake, which was centred 30 kilometres west of the South Island's biggest city, at a depth of 33 kilometres.
Emergency services were flooded with calls and police urged residents not to use mobile phones and to stay indoors as more aftershocks were expected.
There were no immediate reports of casualties, Radio New Zealand reported.
The quake struck at 4:35 am (1635 GMT) and the extent of the damage was not likely to be confirmed until daybreak.
Christchurch International Airport was closed and the South Island rail network was shut down pending inspections for damage.
The quake was felt widely across South Island and in the capital Wellington, which lies at the southern tip of the North Island.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that it had detected no tsunami in the wake of the temblor, but warned that earthquakes of this magnitude can be destructive along coasts near the earthquake's epicentre.
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