Earthquake hits Christchurch

A major earthquake has hit Christchurch, according to breaking reports on Twitter.

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake has hit the South Island of New Zealand near Christchurch, rapidly followed by multiple afterhocks.

The initial quake hit at 13:58 local time (11:58 AEDT) just off the coast, at: 43.489°S, 172.977°E, according to the US Geological Survey.