New Zealand Rattled by 6.3 Magnitude Earthquake
 

The Associated Press Updated: Jan 20, 2014 1:29 AM ET
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One of two giant eagle sculptures promoting The Hobbit movie trilogy lay on the ground after it fell in the wake of a 6.3 magnitude earthquake at Wellington Airport in New Zealand on Monday. (Hagen Hopkins/New Zealand Herald/The Associated Press)



An earthquake in New Zealand on Monday shook loose a giant eagle sculpture promoting The Hobbit movie trilogy and caused other minor damage around the region.

The magnitude 6.3 quake struck the country's lower North Island at a little before 4 p.m. local time and rattled the capital Wellington. Many residents of the city were at home because it was a public holiday.

There were no initial reports of major damage or injuries, although the quake was strong enough to damage some homes, trigger rockslides and road closures, and knock items from shelves.

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A magnitude 6.3 quake struck New Zealand, about 38 kilometres northeast of the town of Masterton, on Monday reported the United States Geological Survey.


The eagle sculpture in the Wellington Airport was placed there in recent months to promote director Peter Jackson's second movie in his popular trilogy. It fell from its overhead perch to the floor.

The United States Geological Survey estimated the quake was centred about 38 kilometres northeast of the town of Masterton at a depth of 27 kilometres.

New Zealand lies on the Pacific's so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of earthquake and volcanic activity that stretches around the Pacific Rim.

An earthquake in the city of Christchurch in 2011 destroyed much of the downtown and killed 185 people