People wait in Te Aro Park after being evacuated from nearby buildings following an earthquake in Wellington, New Zealand on November 14, 2016. Thousands of aftershocks have been registered since.

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 struck central New Zealand on Tuesday, little more than a week after a powerful tremor centred in the upper South Island rocked the country and killed two people.

Tuesday's quake was centered off the coast of the North Island, 138 km (86 miles) from Palmerston North at a depth of 37 km (23 miles).

Thousands of aftershocks have been registered since a 7.8 magnitude quake struck near Christchurch in the early hours of Nov 14.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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