New Zealand has been hit by a powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake, with a second 5.1 striking near its capital, Wellington.
The first tremor caused 'moderate shaking', according to Geonet, hitting 585km southwest of Invercargill at a depth of 10kn.
It may have been felt in Balclutha, Gore, Invercargill, Lumsden, Roxburgh, Te Anau and Tuatapere.
The second quake, located northeast of Seddon, was felt strong in Wellington.
Credit: Geonet
Credit: PA
Authorities have since issued a remind to 'drop, cover, and hold' in the event of any more earthquakes.
Trains in the capital have been stopped, while people took to social media to report their feelings and check on family and friends.
A seismologist said that the two quakes, which were only an hour apart, says that they were not linked to the ones that have hit Mexico - according to the Daily Mail.
GNS seismologist Dr Anna Kaiser said: "It's certainly something that can't be scientifically proven."
She added that although earthquakes can trigger aftershocks nearby, it's unlikely to have caused the second quake in New Zealand.
"But obviously that's [the aftershock] not a mechanism that could explain the earthquake in the Cook Strait because it was too far away to be caused by that kind of stress change."
Credit: PA
The first quake hit a seismically active area near a plate boundary where the Australian plate dives below the Pacific plate, the NZ Herald reported.
A similar 6.4 quake hit the trench in July, with an epicentre 190km southwest of the Snares Islands. It was subsequently felt all around the South Island.
At least 248 people have died after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit Mexico's capital, Mexico City, the BBC reports.
The tremor struck shortly after many people had taken part in an earthquake drill, exactly 32 years after a quake killed thousands in the city.
President Pena Nieto said more than 20 children, and two adults, were discovered dead after a school collapsed in the southern Coapa district, a further 30 children and eight adults are missing.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: New Zealand, Earthquake
