Strong earthquakes shook central New Zealand today, damaging homes and roads and sending office workers scrambling for cover in the capital. No serious injuries were reported.

A strong earthquake has shaken central New Zealand, disrupting traffic and sending office workers scrambling for cover in the capital.

A 51-year-old engineer working at a New Zealand aircraft testing centre was sucked into an engine and killed.

RESCUE crews waited impatiently outside one of New Zealand’s largest coal mines last night for the all-clear to begin a search for 27 men missing after a powerful gas explosion struck deep underground.

Around 30 workers were unaccounted for after an explosion ripped through a coal mine in New Zealand today, police and media reports said.