4 Sep 2010

New Zealand braced for quake aftershocks

A curfew is in place in Christchurch after an earthquake of same size as the quake that claimed 230,000 lives in Haiti hit New Zealand’s second largest city.

A state of emergency was declared after the quake of 7.0 magnitude hit New Zealand’s South Island just before dawn today.

Damage to cars, buildings and infrastructure was widespread but there were just two reports of serious injuries. The streets in Christchurch were littered with bricks, and the buildings above ripped open by the massive jolt.

Three quarters of New Zealand’s second largest city was left without power and the hospital was forced to run on a generator. Many streets were flooded as pipes burst and water came up from cracks in the ground.

The quake was the same size as the one that claimed 230,000 lives in Haiti, making the low casualty count even more remarkable.

“There are awful lot of ordinary Kiwi folk right here in Christchurch City today who have lost a lot of possessions,” said Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker. “Some of them are not sure where they will be tonight.”

Earthquakes are not uncommon in New Zealand – but they are in this area. Christchurch does not sit on a known faultline and has only experienced four big quakes in the last 800 years.