The largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, Christchurch continues to feel the devastation brought about by the 6.3 magnitude earthquake which struck the area at 12:51 p.m. (local time) on Tuesday, February 22. The country's Prime Minister John Key said the death toll now has risen to at least 65. Rescuers on top of the collapsed Pyne Gould Guiness Building in central Christchurch Photo / Mark Mitchel Seventeen casualties had been reported earlier by civil defence authorities. The number of deaths is expected to rise since some people are still reportedly trapped in buildings. Here's an excerpt of a New Zealand Herald report detailing the catastrophic event: Shallow quake GNS Science said today's quake was centred at Lyttelton at a depth of 5km at 12.51pm. GNS said the earthquake would have caused more damage than the original 7.1 earthquake on September 4 because of its shallow depth. Its data centre manager Kevin Fenaughty said residents said the quake's epicentre was located in the "worst possible location" for the city. "It's a nightmare. A lot of people were just getting back on their feet after the original quake." Another earthquake of 4.5 struck at 1.21pm, 10 km east of Diamond Harbour. Streets flooded Herald reporter Jarrod Booker said the shake lasted approximately one minute and was extremely violent - rocking buildings back and forth. He said people had left buildings and were out on the streets where tarmac had cracked and water mains had burst, causing extensive flooding. Tuam Street had become a river as water poured from ruptures in the road and was impassable in places. The whole central city was in grid lock as people tried to evacuate central businesses to check their homes, Jarrod Booker said. Most traffic lights were out and cars were also having to negotiate around hordes of people on foot. Jarrod Booker said that he could hear sirens but that it would be difficult for emergency services to access the city because of the gridlock. "Even sitting in a car you can feel continual shaking on a smaller scale than the original quake," he said. Some pedestrians were standing on the footpaths and staring into space, apparently in shock. 'Great confusion' Mayor Bob Parker said he was "thrown quite a distance" by the earthquake. "That was, in the city central anyway, as violent as the one that happened on the 4th of September," he told Radio New Zealand. Mr Parker said there were scenes of "great confusion" on the streets, also saying the roads were jammed as vehicles sought to get out of the central city. "I know of injuries in my building and there are unconfirmed reports of serious injuries in the city." Mr Parker did not know the extent of damage to the city's infrastructure, but advised people not to drink the water supply. "We've been through this before this once, we now need to think we did at that time." Buildings collapsed Jarrod Booker said Christchurch's historic cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament on Barbadoes Street had half collapsed, with the remaining part of the building filled with cracks. There was huge damage to other older buildings with large amounts of debris falling to the ground, he said. He said the carpark at the Christchurch Star had turned into a river with huge cracks and that the roads had risen in areas. People were comforting people outside amid a general state of shock as they tried to absorb what had happened, he said. Radio New Zealand reported widespread damage to the city centre, with a church on Durham St collapsed and concrete lifted by up to a metre. TV3 reported the Provincial Chambers Building had collapsed and it was believed people were trapped inside. A listener told Newstalk ZB that the Piko Wholefoods building on Kilmore Street near the city centre, which was hit in the September 4 earthquake, was now "practically non-existent". The spire on the Christchurch Cathedral had also collapsed. A man said he and 19 other colleagues are trapped in Christchurch's Forsyth Barr building on Colombo Street. Gary Moore told NZPA workers were stuck on the 12th floor as the stairwell had collapsed. He was not sure if people were trapped on other floors. People were in a state of shock but were not injured and he urged NZPA to let somebody know. He described the first quake and the aftershocks as catastrophic. "We watched the cathedral collapse out our window while we were holding onto the walls." "Every aftershock sends us rushing under the desks. It's very unnerving but we can clearly see there are other priorities out the window. There has been a lot of damage and I guess people are attending to that before they come and get us," he said. A Newstalk ZB reporter in Christchurch said liquefaction was spewing out of the ground at St Albans High School. School children had to be removed from the fields with liquefaction also spewing from the tennis courts. Share This: Facebook Twitter Google Plus Pinterest Linkedin
Explore In Memoriam: PhillipC's 12457 photos on Flickr!
They spent a fun-filled day riding a jet boat and sipping wine in leafy Queenstown on Sunday. But it was back to business for the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William on Monday, as the couple jetted off to Christchurch for the next stop of their Royal Tour in New Zealand.
See a photo of a stand of trees at New Zealand’s Lake Wakatipu, from National Geographic.
About NZ Classic Car New Zealand’s longest running classic car magazine – celebrated its 300th edition in January 2016, an amazing achievement for a publication which began as a simple idea to put local classic car owners in touch with event organisers, car clubs and trade professionals. NZ Classic Car has been a vital part of the local motoring scene for more than 25 years and features unique and extensive classic motoring coverage. NZCC’s enthusiastic and passionate writers cover the length and breadth of the country ensuring extensive classic motoring coverage. Our coverage of New Zealand’s motoring heritage remains unrivalled, especially in the field of motorsport history, plus we include stunning photography, authoritative features and event reports from throughout the country.
Explore In Memoriam: PhillipC's 12457 photos on Flickr!
To view more, go to Sue Crockford Gallery .
Visit the post for more.
The New Zealand Defence Service Medal was instituted in April 2011 to recognise attested military service since 3 September 1945. The Royal Warrant for the NZDSM allows for one or more of the following clasps to be awarded with the medal: REGULAR TERRITORIAL C.M.T. NATIONAL SERVICE The number of clasps awarded to an individual will be determined by the type(s) of military service undertaken by the individual. *One Clasp is included with the $85 fee for the medal. Additional clasps for this medal must be ordered separately using Clasps & Bars.
My husband is from New Zealand. In all the corner shops & little bakeries, they sell all kinds of individual pie – there are meat pies, cheese pies, meat & cheese pies. They are so go…
They spent a fun-filled day riding a jet boat and sipping wine in leafy Queenstown on Sunday. But it was back to business for the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William on Monday, as the couple jetted off to Christchurch for the next stop of their Royal Tour in New Zealand.
Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge visited Dunedin and Queenstown, New Zealand. ( More Photos ) ...
Visit the post for more.
These little starters tick all the boxes - healthy, quick and incredibly moreish!
They spent a fun-filled day riding a jet boat and sipping wine in leafy Queenstown on Sunday. But it was back to business for the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William on Monday, as the couple jetted off to Christchurch for the next stop of their Royal Tour in New Zealand.
William and Kate spent ten days in the land of long white cloud where Prince George made his first-ever public engagements
PS makes wellness more accessible through real-life stories, first-person perspectives, and expert-backed information. Our staff of journalists and subject-matter experts research, report, and produce articles, videos, and social content that help people feel good about their well-being choices, no matter what they are. Via our core verticals — Health, Fitness, Beauty, Balance, Identity, and Shopping — we help our audience proceed with confidence.
