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Magnitude 5.6 Quake Near Milford Sound Draws More Than 6,000 Reports

Published Sep 2, 2026

Courtroom-sketch editorial illustration of tidal flats and water leading toward Milford Sound's steep mountains beneath a cloudy sky, rendered in warm ochre and slate-blue pastel strokes.

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 35 kilometres northeast of Milford Sound at 6:57 p.m. local time on Wednesday, GeoNet reported. The shallow quake, recorded at a depth of 5 kilometres, produced moderate shaking and drew 6,047 felt reports from across New Zealand’s South Island. GeoNet’s reviewed solution placed the epicentre at latitude -44.45 and longitude 168.30. It followed a magnitude 5.5 quake in the same area 44 minutes earlier, also 5 kilometres deep, which drew 6,926 felt reports.

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