7.8-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes New Zealand, Killing 2

A crippling 7.8-magnitude earthquake has rocked New Zealand’s South Island, the U.S. Geological Survey said Sunday. Officials on the island say the tremor has triggered a tsunami. Prime Minister John Key said at least two people were killed. Residents on the east coast were told earlier to move to higher ground. The epicenter was 59 miles north of Christchurch. “We were asleep and woken to the house shaking, it kept going and going and felt like it was going to build up,” a resident told AFP. New Zealand lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” fault line.

Earthquake Hits New Zealand, Click to View Images of the Aftermath