WELLINGTON -- An earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale struck New Zealand North Island's Bay of Plenty region on Friday morning, causing no casualties or damages, GNS Science said.

The quake struck 40 km northeast of Optiki, in the eastern Bay of Plenty, at a depth of 40 km at 8:14 a.m. local time (19:14 GMT Thursday, the New Zealand's Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS) said.

It was likely to have been felt in the eastern Bay of Plenty.