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New Zealand earthquake: PM Jacinda Ardern live on TV in Wellington as North Island hit | World news | The Guardian

New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has developed a reputation for keeping her cool in the face of a crisis. But an earthquake first thing on Monday morning as she was interviewed live on television seemed like an unusually trying way to start a week.

“We’re just having a bit of an earthquake here,” Ardern told Ryan Bridge, a host for Newshub’s AM Show, live on air. Casting her eyes to the ceiling of the room she was standing in at New Zealand’s parliament in Wellington, she remained in place as the television camera jolted.

The 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 30 km north-west of Levin, a town about an hour’s drive north from the capital, at a depth of 37 km, according to the country’s seismology agency. No injuries or structural damage have been reported.

“Quite a decent shake here, but if you see things moving behind me, the Beehive moves more than most,” Ardern said, referring to the name given to the main parliament building, as the room rattled around her.

The quake lasted about 15 seconds and was felt by tens of thousands of New Zealanders as far afield as Auckland in the north and Dunedin on the South Island.

“We’re fine,” Ardern told Bridge, signalling she was ready to continue the interview as the quake rolled to a close. “I’m not under any hanging lights.”

Ardern later told reporters that the first thought to mind as the room began to shake was, “Are you serious?”  …