The Port Hills Fault is an inferred active seismic fault believed to be located beneath the Port Hills near Christchurch, on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake[1] occurred on the Port Hills Fault at 12:51 pm on 22 February 2011 local time (23:51 21 February UTC),[1][2] causing widespread damage and fatalities.
The earthquake was centred 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of the town of Lyttelton, and 10 kilometres (6 mi) south-east of the centre of Christchurch, New Zealand's second-most populous city.
[1] It followed nearly six months after the 7.1 magnitude 2010 Canterbury earthquake that caused significant damage to the region but no direct fatalities.