A broad New Zealand cliff along the seacoast collapsed during a 5.7-magnitude earthquake that hit the island country on Valentine's Day, but news outlets reported only minor injuries around the nation.
The cliff crumbled at Whitewash Head, near Sumner, according to
Radio New Zealand. Engineers noted there was "considerable cliff collapse" at nearby Godley Head, as well, and they were trying to determine the stability of the areas.
Whitewash Head Road homeowners told Radio New Zealand that the dust cloud from the cliff collapse reduced visibility to a few meters.
The earthquake's epicenter was nine miles east of Christchurch, at a depth of nine miles, reported the
BBC News. The tremor came days before the anniversary of a 2011 earthquake that killed 185 people in New Zealand.
Anne Hutton told the
New Zealand Herald she was at a café watching people on the beach when the earthquake struck.
"We lived through all the big earthquakes but none were as bad as this ... three geriatrics trying to help each other and all we could do was fall on the fence," said Hutton. "Amazing how powerless you are ... it was as if the path suddenly became too steep to negotiate ... the noise was horrendous and we were yelling, too."
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel told the Herald that the city suffered several water main breaks.
New Zealand residents posted photos of the earthquake's aftermath on social media.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.