M7.2 earthquake near Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui

What happened

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 39 km SE of Palmerston North, New Zealand on 5 Mar 1934, 11:46 UTC at a depth of 15 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Major. Can cause serious damage over large areas. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Palmerston North, about 40 km away in Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand.