Christchurch in New Zealand has been rocked by two new earthquakes just months after over a hundred people were killed in an earlier incident.

The first 5.8 quake rocked the city at 13:58 local time according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

A second of similar magnitude hit just over an hour later, sending residents out into the streets.

Dozens of injuries were reported following the latest quake, but there are no reports of fatalities.

Some 19 people were admitted to hospital.

It comes 10 months after swathes of the city were destroyed by another quake.

The latest earthquake struck 26 kilometres north-east of the city at a depth of 4.7 kilometres.

The second was in almost exactly the same place, the USGS said.

Image courtesy US Geological Survey