6.8 degrees … a violent earthquake hitting the ocean off the coast of New Zealand

A violent earthquake measured 6.8 in the ocean off the coast of the main southern island of New Zealand on Tuesday afternoon, according to the US Seismological Observatory.

The US Geological Survey said that the earthquake occurred at 14,43 (01,43 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometers, and about 100 km from the southern island.