At 4.35am this morning, a huge 7.1 earthquake hit Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand.
The centre of the earthquake was 30k west of Christchurch (close to Darfield), and 10k deep – which is very shallow. The quake was felt throughout the South Island, and as far North as Wellington. There was no indication that this earthquake was coming.
UPDATE: 12 midday
John Key is on his way to Wellington then to Christchurch.
The Mayor of Christchurch has declared a state of emergency in the city of Christchurch.
The inner city has been closed.
Please stay in your homes so emergency services can get to the people who need help.
The damage is more extensive than they first thought. Burst water pipes throughout the city, and in Brighton have caused flooding.
Residents are advised to reserve water, and watch out for electrical issues when your power does come back on.
There has not been looting in the city despite earlier reports.
Flights could be taking off as early as this afternoon.
On our arrival at Christchurch Airport at 6am this morning, we were told that Air Traffic Control (based here Christchurch) was down, and therefore there were no flights nationwide. There was also expected damage to planes and the runway. The Airport is now closed and they are re-assessing the situation regularly.
Many members of the public have reported ceilings caving in, paintings falling from walls, items from cupboards strewn across rooms.
There was more substantial damage to older buildings in the city, with Victoria St & Manchester St some of the more affected areas. It’s been reported the Christchurch Cathedral bells rang for 7 minutes after the first earthquake, which shows the extent of the shake.
Residents are being advised to stay indoors, and not to leave unless its an emergency. Any minor injuries should be treated at home or in the first instance at the 24 hour surgery. The emergency department at Christchurch Hospital is busy, but in control.
It is hoped the power will return to 90% of Canterbury homes by dark today. Water could be off for days.
There is no risk of tsunami.
There have been several after shocks, measuring around 3.9-5.3
I'm pleased to say that although the Pregoli Shop is in quite a mess, the Life Factory WeeGo Glass Bottles from Pregoli survived the fall & are in one piece, so that something to say for a glass bottle!
Credits to www.press.co.nz for these images, we've got more to come.
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