An earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale struck New Zealand's Southland area early Saturday morning, but there have been no reports of injuries or damage so far, the GNS Science said.

The quake, occurred at 1:28 a.m. (13:28 GMT Friday) hit 80 km west of Te Anau at a depth of 12 km, the New Zealand Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences reported.

It was a further aftershock of last week's 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Fiordland, the lower South Island, and it was likely to have been felt in Fiordland and Southland, it said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2009)