Earthquake strikes New Zealand's South Island

A strong new earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 struck New Zealand's South Island today, hours after a more powerful quake killed two people and damaged buildings along the east coast of the South Island. 

Meanwhile, rescuers were scrambling to reach the epicentre of the last night's earthquake that killed at least two people and sparked a tsunami alert that sent thousands fleeing for higher ground. The jolt, one



of the most powerful ever recorded in the quake-prone South Pacific nation, hit just after last night near the South Island coastal town of Kaikoura. 

Authorities downgraded the tsunami after four hours but said risks remained. In a related development, Prime Minister John Key cancelled a trip to Argentina today and said he wanted to stay at home until the scale of the quake's destruction was known.