Damage From New Zealand Earthquake Estimated at $1.4Bln - PM

New Zealand has sustained damage estimated at about 2 billion New Zealand dollars (about $1.4 billion) after an earthquake hit the country, Prime Minister John Key said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Sunday, a 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit the country's South Island. The earthquake epicenter was less than 120 miles from the Christchurch city, heavily damaged in 2010-2012 by quakes that claimed the lives of at least 185 people.

"It's hard to believe that the bill is going to be less than a couple of billion," Key was quoted by the Radio New Zealand (RNZ) on its Twitter account as saying.

"It's hard to believe that the bill is going to be less than a couple of billion."

— RNZ (@radionz) 14 ноября 2016 г.

​Key added that people were physically and mentally exhausted after the disaster and needed more support.

In the wake of the earthquake, New Zealand's Civil Defense and Emergency Management Ministry (MCDEM) issued a warning for a tsunami for the eastern coast of both North and South Islands.

A dam on the Clarence River has been damaged after the earthquake, with emergency workers evacuating people from nearby settlements.