A Malaysian student in Christchurch, New Zealand, did not expect the strong tremors which shook her home were caused by an earthquake.

According to Mastura Ahmad Kamil, 23, an exchange student at the University of Otago, the tremors were felt for several minutes and were very frightening.

She said during the incident at 1.15pm local time (8.15pm Malaysian time), she was alone at home, surfing the Internet.

"I suddenly felt strong tremors... my house felt as though it was shaking for a few minutes.

"I was frightened and wondered what was really happening. Thank God, I am safe," she told Bernama when contacted today.

Mastura said she found out the tremors were caused by an earthquake when she saw the news on Facebook.

She then contacted her family in Klang, Selangor to inform them of her condition.

"My family was very worried and gave me all sorts of advice, including telling me to find a safe place for shelter," she said.

Mastura said this was the second time she had such an experience, with the first when she was in Dunedin last year.

According to media reports, an earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale occurred near Christchurch, causing cliffs to collapse into the sea. No major damage was reported in the city which was hit by an earthquake in 2011, killing 200 people.

In a statement issued today, the Foreign Ministry said no Malaysians were affected by the earthquake, but Wisma Putra and the Malaysian High Commission in Wellington would continue to monitor the situation and provide information.

- Bernama