An earthquake has struck New Zealand midway through a COVID update by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Ardern was fielding a question from a journalist on Friday morning when the tremor struck.
Watch the moment in the video above
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today 
She briefly looked up in surprise before regaining her composure.
“Sorry, a slight distraction, would you mind repeating that question?” she said with a smile.
The US Geological Survey reported the earthquake was a 5.6 magnitude shake at a depth of about 223km.
It struck just before 11am Friday local time.
It’s not the first time Ardern has had a media opportunity interrupted by an earthquake.
Ardern was on rattled on live television last May when a 5.8 magnitude quake hit near Wellington.
She was being interviewed in the executive government building known as “the Beehive” live when it hit.
Watch the video below: Ardern rattled by another earthquake during a live TV interview in 2020
“We’re just having a bit of an earthquake here ... quite a decent shake here. If you see things moving behind me,” she said.
The camera shot shakes as Ardern looks around to judge her safety.
“The Beehive moves a little more than most.
“It’s just stopped. No, we’re fine. I’m not under any hanging lights, I look like I’m in a structurally sound place.”
New Zealand lies on the seismically active “Ring of Fire”, a 40,000km arc of volcanoes and ocean trenches girdling much of the Pacific Ocean.