Ian Woods, Sky News correspondent, in Sydney
The New Zealand city of Christchurch has been hit by another series of strong tremors, four months after 181 people died when an earthquake damaged thousands of buildings.
Damage and injuries were minor compared to the February 22 disaster, but it brought power cuts and spread fear among a frightened and weary population.
In total 10 people were injured and St John's Ambulance reported that six were taken to hospital.
Two people were rescued from a collapsed building, and 54,000 homes lost power.
The first quake to strike was measured at a magnitude of 5.2 and caused buildings to be evacuated.
An hour and twenty minutes later, the US Geological Survey measured the biggest tremor at 6.0.
It struck at a depth of 5.6 miles and some nine miles from the country's second largest city.
Much of the centre of the city is still sealed off because of the precarious state of many damaged buildings from four months earlier.
That disaster was technically an aftershock from an earthquake last September, and for nine months its residents have endured thousands of tremors.
Christchurch mayor Bob Parker was on the telephone to Sky News Australia and describing the first tremor live on air when the 6.0 quake shook his office.
He sounded scared as he described what it was like, and cut short the interview.
"We've got a very serious aftershock. This is as bad as it gets," the stunned mayor said.
"My God, this is really running for a long time!"
The aftershock prompted police to evacuate parts of the damaged central city known as the red zone, while rock falls had closed several bridges and prompted the closure of one police station.
Eastern suburbs were badly affected by flooding and liquefaction - mud oozing from below the surface and covering roads.
Christchurch's cathedral, which only had one wall left standing following February's quake, has suffered further extensive damage.
Police urged residents to check on friends and neighbours, and to stay at home and avoid travelling if possible, but residents gridlocked the roads as they attempted to find their way home and reach family.
An initial green restricted area cordon was reduced to just an area called zone 6, which along with the red zone, is not open for access at all.
The series of quakes forced the adjournment of an inquest examining why the CTV building collapsed in February's earthquake, killing more than 100 people, including 65 foreign students.
The country's prime minister John Key told reporters: "This has been a setback for Christchurch and its people, but it does not lessen our resolve to rebuild.
"The people of Christchurch should know all New Zealanders are thinking of them and will continue to support and stand by them in this very difficult time."
Geoscience Australia seismologist David Jepson said New Zealand's South Island had endured much seismic activity in recent months.
"It seems like they are going to keep happening. Since they had that really big earthquake it seems to me like it activated all these different faults," he said.
"But it's just a guessing game what is going to happen next."
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