New Zealand’s South Island was under a state of emergency today and rocked by aftershocks after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake caused widespread damage.

A MASSIVE 7.8-magnitude earthquake last week has moved the south of New Zealand closer to Australia, scientists said.

NEW ZEALAND and Australia temporarily issued tsunami warnings yesterday after an earthquake struck the south of New Zealand, causing minor damage but no injuries.

Geologists studying a fault line off New Zealand’s South Island said today it could cause more severe earthquakes than previously thought – in an area that draws hundreds of thousands of tourists each year.

A huge earthquake rocked southern New Zealand early today, authorities said. It rattled houses and hotels but caused no injuries or major damage in the mountainous and sparsely populated region.