CNN: 65 People Are Confirmed Dead After New Zealand Earthquake | Photos | Video

Gisborne Bernina sewing shop is reduced to ruins after earthquake.

Photo: Gisborne Herald

7.4 earthquake іn Nеw Zealand occurred іn thе September 3, 2010 South Island аѕ a result οf strike-slip faulting within thе crust οf thе Pacific plate, near thе eastern foothills οf thе Southern Alps аt thе western edge οf thе Canterbury Plains.

Church van filled with fallen bricks

http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim//2010/09/03/quake01.jpg

CBS News

http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim//2010/09/03/AP1009040237.jpg

Christchurch

Business street in Christchurch

CBS News

People are evacuated from a damaged building after an earthquake struck Christchurch (Reuters: Reuters TV/TV3)

Dozens remain trapped as the death toll is expected to rise. (ABC News)

The Pyne Gould Corp. building collapsed after the 6.3 magnitude quake. Rescue operations are still being done at the area as some people were trapped under the rubble.

http://static2.stuff.co.nz/1298355820/829/4690829_600x400.jpg

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/The Press

Earthquake damage to the PGG-Wrightson building.

Christchurch awning collapse

A man lies injured near Cashel Mall.

http://m.neontommy.com/sites/default/files/uploads/245954306.jpg

Crushed car

http://file.stuff.co.nz/1298335337/434/4688434.jpg

Click on picture to watch raw video.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/4688466/MASSIVE-QUAKE-IN-CHRISTCHURCH

The Southland Times (New Zealand)...

Lives lost in massive quake
Many still trapped. South set to help.

Last updated 18:28 22/02/2011

This bus was hit by falling debris.

LATEST: Sixty-five people are confirmed dead and scores more are injured or missing after a powerful earthquake today destroyed Christchurch buildings and left entire suburbs "unliveable".

Prime Minister John Key tonight said "we may be witnessing New Zealand's darkest day" in confirming that at least 65 people were dead after the 6.3 magnitude quake hit at 12.51pm, 10km southwest of Christchurch at a depth of 5km.

Hospitals in Invercargill and Dunedin have made arrangements to free bed space to take casualties from the quake and southern rescue equipment and staff are on their way to Christchurch.

Police said multiple fatalities had been reported at several locations in the central city, including two buses crushed by falling buildings.

Southland Hospital, in Invercargill, has 23 beds available, while Dunedin Hospital has 16 beds free now, with a further 20 free tomorrow and Mercy Hospital, in Dunedin, has 20 bed free and has cancelled surgery to free space.

Three rescue helicopters with St John paramedics and medical equipment have been despatched north from Dunedin.

Four Dunedin building control officers and four Fire Service appliances and a command unit have also headed for Christchurch.

Buildings and houses have collapsed with reports of multiple people trapped.

Christchurch airport and the hospital have been evacuated.

There are witness reports from Christchurch saying it felt as big the September quake.

Television reports showing live images of the destruction indicate there have been many injuries.

The Fire Service confirmed to Radio New Zealand that there had been deaths.

Former Southland man Matt Emms was working in the city centre at the time and said the quake "definitely felt bigger than the last one''.

After the quake people were running, screaming and crying and in a state of panic, he said.

"There is definitely going to be people who have been killed,'' Mr Emms said.

Buildings have fallen everywhere and the road had been completely ripped up.

Mr Emms was trying to leave the centre of the city and make has way home in the suburbs while tracking down other family members living in the town to check on their safety.

There had already been two aftershocks a magnitude 4.5 at 1.21pm, 10km east of Diamond Harbour and 4.4 at 1.46pm, 10km east of Lyttelton.

A former Southland woman in Christchurch said: "I thought I was going to die today, really thought I was going to die."

The quake was also felt in Queenstown, Dunedin and Wellington.

In Invercargill it was felt lightly, especially in buildings more than two storeys high. It was also reported as far southwest as Te Anau but no-one has reported damage in the south.

Invercargill Eye reporter Sarah McCarthy, her mother Jackie and Mrs McCarthy's cousin, Classic Hits broadcaster Tracey Kilkelly, were "pretty freaked out but OK" and were returning to their motel.

The Southland Times have been taking calls from worried family members from across the world stymied by the lack of communication in Christchurch.

They included a man from Mumbai in India, Jay Bhatia who said his parents were stuck on the 23rd floor of the Grand Chancellor Hotel and could not get help for them.

Emergency Management Southland spokeswoman Michele Poole said the organisation was expecting to be called upon and was in the process of "mustering resources" to answer that call when it came.

Southland area Fire Service Southern police are also preparing to be called to Christchurch, acting Senior Sergeant Dave McKenzie, of Invercargill, said.

Fire Service acting assistant manager Alan Goldsworthy said southern fire crews were also poised and expecting to be call north.

Southern police were also preparing to be called to Christchurch, acting Senior Sergeant Dave McKenzie, of Invercargill, said. Police from Timaru were already in Christchurch.

Meanwhile, the Christchurch-based Southern Comunications Centre had relinquished some responsibility, meaning South Island calls were being directed to other centres, he said.

Stranded passengers headed for Christchurch at Invercargill Airport said they were unsure what they would go home to.

Christchurch man Doug Kirk said he had no idea what to expect. His home had not been badly damaged in the September 4 quake but things could be different this time around, he said.

"We can't really get much contact with anyone around. Everyone (else) is telling me it's worse than the first one.''

It was hard to be sitting around waiting, he said.

Invercargill Airport Air New Zealand manager Mike McGee said two outbound flights heading to Christchurch and one scheduled to land in Invercargill had been cancelled. That could change depending on the situation further north.
About 100 passengers had been affected so far.

Air New Zealand would try to fly them out later tonight but, if they were unable to, the stranded passengers would have to find accommodation.

111 FAILURE

"The 111 phone system in Southland is OVERLOADED following today's earthquake in Christchurch.

"Anyone needing urgent assistance from the police must phone their local police station direct. This number is in the BLUE pages at the front of the Southland phone book.

"Anyone needing an ambulance in Southland must phone (03) 211 3044.

"Anyone needing assistance from the Fire Service must phone (03) 214 3779."

» This message was authorised by Warren Tuckey, Southland Civil Defence Controller

STATEMENT FROM TELECOM

"Telecom is working intensively to understand which services have been affected by today's earthquake and get these restored as soon as possible.

"Some network sites have been badly damaged and are not working, and others are operating on battery backup power.

"To minimise the stress on the network and to conserve backup power we ask people to only use their phones for emergency calls.

"We will provide regular updates as more information becomes available.

"Our thoughts are with the people of Canterbury."

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/New-Zealand-Earthquake-Kills-65.html

Voice of America...

New Zealand Earthquake Kills 65

6.3 Magnitude quake strikes Christchurch at lunchtime, badly damaging buildings

VOA News February 22, 2011

People walk past rubble as they help the injured evacuate after an earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand
Photo: Reuters TV / Reuters

People walk past rubble as they help the injured evacuate after an earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, in this February 22, 2011 image taken from video footage.

New Zealand's prime minister says at least 65 people are dead in an earthquake that struck the city of Christchurch, collapsing numerous buildings as people worked inside.

Prime Minister John Key said the 6.3-magnitude quake, which struck around lunchtime Tuesday, is "an absolute tragedy" for the city and its people.

Police reported fatalities in several parts of the city and numerous injuries. They say two buses were crushed by falling buildings.

Many buildings in the city center collapsed, and Christchurch cathedral was heavily damaged. Power and telephone lines are cut in some places. Some roads caved in and at least one bridge has been damaged.

Thousands of people have fled buildings and gathered in the streets of Christchurch as the city is now being hit by a series of aftershocks.

Flights in and out of Christchurch were temporarily cancelled.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered about 5 kilometers from the city at a depth of 4 kilometers.

Christchurch, one of New Zealand's largest cities, was hit by a 7.1- magnitude earthquake last September and a series of aftershock has rattled the city ever since.

Mayor Bob Parker told Radio New Zealand that Tuesday's temblor felt like a whole new earthquake had struck, and not an aftershock.

The mayor advised people not to drive.

New Zealand's geological service says the earthquake has caused more damage than the stronger one in September because of its relatively shallow depth.

CONTINUED...

PART TWO...

Hospitals making way for injured

Hospitals in other South Island cities and towns were discharging patients to make room for injured quake survivors and out-of-town ambulances were reported flooding into Christchurch to help harried local medical teams.

Rescue squads were also heading for the stricken city in the face of reports of people trapped in crumpled buildings, some of them high-rise.

The Pyne Gould Guinness building collapsed, with at least 30 people said to be trapped in the rubble.

The earthquake shook the city at 12.51pm while streets were crowed with shoppers and office workers.

It was not as powerful as the 7.3 that struck in early morning hours of 4 September last year but was much shallower, leading to greater damage.

Scientists put the epicentre at 10km southeast of the city - apparently in the middle of the harbour at Lyttelton, the city's coastal port - at a depth of only 5km.

Radio and television reported damage in the town of Lyttelton was severe.

The road tunnel linking Christchurch and Lyttelton was closed and Christchurch International Airport was shut down.

One runway was expected to be cleared late this afternoon and Prime Minister John Key was expected to fly in from Wellington.

Christchurch has suffered a long series of after shocks following last year's quake and they continued after the big one today.

One tremor of 5.7 occurred five minutes after the main shock and there was another of 5.5 at 2.50pm.

Late in the afternoon after shocks were still occurring in the magnitude 4 range on the Richter Scale.

The city's iconic cathedral in the central square survived September without little damage but its spire fell today and the rest of the building was badly damaged.

Christchurch mayor Bob Parker said the damage was much more severe than in the great 7.1 quake almost six months ago.

"The city centre is like a war zone and damage is immense.

"Everybody needs to understand that this is going to be a day of very black news," the mayor said.

He declared a state of emergency, adding Christchurch and Canterbury would need help from the rest of the country.

The quake ravaged the city centre as display widows shattered and walls and roofs fell.

Defence Force troops and extra police have been drafted in from other parts of the country to aid in rescue efforts.

One third of the city was reported to be without electricity and Contact Energy closed its LPG gas lines after reported of leaking gas.

The telephone system was severely overloaded as people called to check on the safety of friends and relatives.

The central city is being evacuated as police receive reports of widespread damage.

Bodies lying in streets

Earlier today, residents reported were bodies lying in the streets of Christchurch.

Police said fatalities had been reported at several locations and that two buses had been crushed by falling buildings. Christchurch mayor Bob Parker has declared a state of emergency.

Christchurch resident Jaydn Katene told the Herald: "We've had friends in town call us and say there are just bodies lying around; lots of dead bodies outside shops just lying there just covered in bricks.

"When it hit we were knocked to our feet. Everything in the house fell down, nothing was left still standing. There's more damage than the first earthquake, the roads are completely torn up; sewage coming up and flooding. It's crazy."

"The elderly are all crying. The next-door neighbours around us were all bawling their eyes out, it was horrible. People can't get out of their houses," said Mr Katene.

"We've seen cars halfway sunken into the road. We've heard there's a bus which is sunken halfway into the road just around the corner.

"Buildings are half-collapsed everywhere.

"It smells horrible. The roads are packed with cars. There aren't enough police or ambulances. Houses are all collapsing. It's pretty shocking; a total warzone."

'Grave concerns' for Banks Peninsula

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says he holds grave concerns for the safety of people in Banks Peninsula area following today's massive earthquake and aftershocks.

Christchurch is located immediately north of the peninsula.

"We still have yet to hear any reports in from Banks Peninsula and I'm very very concerned about that," he told Radio New Zealand.

"The centre of the earthquake was in Lyttelton Harbour. There are hills covered in rocks, those rocks would have come down."

Mr Parker said the damage to the city centre was immense and people were trapped in buildings.

"Everybody needs to understand that this is going to be a day of very black news," he said.

Canterbury would need help from the rest of the country.

"There is no doubt that we are going to have a significant number of homeless people in our city," he said.

The region had lost a lot of communication, and water was coming up through the streets from pipes.

He urged people to stay calm despite the extremely difficult circumstances.

Mr Parker said people were very frightened but they needed to keep the roads clear.

"Don't use the phones unless you have to, those phones are also our lifeline."

When the quake struck the mayor was knocked over.

"I looked out over the city once I got up and I could see clouds of dust from buildings collapsing. I could hear screams from streets."

- NZ Herald staff

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10708043

New Zealand Herald...

Christchurch quake: 65 dead
Updated 6:55 PM Tuesday Feb 22, 2011

PART ONE...

Prime Minister John Key has told reporters that the death toll from today's magnitude 6.3 earthquake stands at 65 and is likely to rise.

Speaking from Christchurch after flying down this afternoon, Mr Key told One News it was likely the quake would prove to be New Zealand's "darkest day".

Mr Key said New Zealanders should be assured the Government was doing everything it could.

There were 180 police on the ground, a further 200 were on the way and 350 military were already in Christchurch with another 250 to arrive soon.

The Government had accepted offers of specialist help from Australia and US.

"I don't think we can go past the fact that we may well be witnessing New Zealand's darkest day."

The latest "very fluid" advice was that the death toll 65, "and that may rise".

"It's an absolute tragedy for this city, for New Zealand, for the people we care so much about and it's a terrifying time for the people of Canterbury.

"Quite frankly it's hard to know what to say.

"It's just a scene of utter devestation, it's just so vastly different from the last earthquake where, yes, there were some horrifying scenes but this is central city at a very, very busy time where you've had a massive earthquake.

"It's been violent shaking on probably what was very weakened infrastructure."

Christchurch mayor Bob Parker says: "As daylight comes tomorrow we need to prepare ourselves for what is likely to be significant numbers of casulaties."

Search teams to work through the night

Search and rescue teams are to work throughout the night looking for survivors following today's massive Christchurch earthquake, Civil Defence director John Hamilton says.

"We have to be prepared to accept that it is going to be a heavy toll,'' Mr Hamilton said.

He could not say how many people were trapped in buildings, saying the information was "patchy".

"There could well be people who are stuck in buildings overnight. I can't confirm, but I would expect that's in all probability the case."

Mr Hamilton said an urban search and rescue team from Australia was on its way, and was expected to arrive after midnight.

A team has also been deployed from Auckland and a second team would be sent down as well.

Mr Hamilton said ambulances from other areas in the South Island were also on its way to Christchurch hospitals and other centres.

He said a large welfare centre has been established in Hagley Park, which would provide shelter for people who can't go home, but it is now full.

"I would expect the civil defence authorities in Christchurch to open welfare centres across the city to take in and support people whose homes are unavailable."

CONTINUED...

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2011/0221/New-Zealand-earthquake-shut...

The Christian Science Monitor...

New Zealand earthquake shuts down flights out of the country

New Zealand earthquake: Air traffic control operations for New Zealand are located in Christchurch, where the air traffic control building may have been damaged by Tuesday's earthquake. All international flights from New Zealand have been suspended.

An injured woman is carried to safety in Christchurch, New Zealand after at magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Tuesday, Feb. 22.

By David Clark Scott, Staff / February 21, 2011

All international flights out of New Zealand were canceled Tuesday afternoon after a magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit the South Island.

Auckland Airport spokesman Richard Llewellyn told the New Zealand Herald that the nation's entire airways system had been shut down shortly after the earthquake hit Christchurch, damaging downtown office buildings and trapping workers. TVNZ reports fatalities from two buses crushed by falling buildings.

"For the moment planes are landing but no planes are departing,'' Mr. Llewellyn told NZPA.

"The national air traffic control centre is in Christchurch, and they are checking to make sure it is all OK, and until then the airways system has been closed."

The Christchurch airport is closed until at least 7 p.m. local time and flights due to arrive there have been diverted to Auckland and Wellington airport.

Jetstar New Zealand announced that flights in and out of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Queenstown have been suspended for the rest of the day.

Airways NZ, the state-owned enterprise that operates the nation's air traffic control system, is based in Christchurch and is reportedly trying to verify the status of its equipment. There are unconfirmed reports that the Airways building was also damaged.

Since the first quake hit at 12:51 p.m. local time, the New Zealand GNS Science reports a series of nine strong aftershocks, ranging from magnitude 3.4 to 5.7.

Some of the buildings may have been weakened by a magnitude 7.1 quake that struck the Christchurch area last September. And because this quake was relatively shallow, it may have caused more damage than the higher magnitude quake in September.

The New Zealand Herald quotes Roger Sutton, CEO of Orion New Zealand, a power company, that electricity is down across 80 percent of Christchurch, "This is much, much more serious than last time," says Mr. Sutton, "We have some major power assets that have been damaged by this quake."

Urban search and rescue crews are moving into the city, and Australia has offered to send assistance.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12533544

BBC....

Christchurch mayor injured by New Zealand earthquake
22 February 2011 Last updated at 00:07 ET Help

The Mayor of Christchurch Bob Parker described how he was injured during a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake on New Zealand's South Island.

Mr Parker said his experience was "nothing compared to the issue that so many people are facing".

The tremor, which hit at 1251 (2351 GMT on Monday) only 10km (6.2 miles) south-east of the city at a depth of 5km (3.1 miles), caused widespread destruction.

The fire service said numerous people were trapped in buildings, and a state of emergency has been declared.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/world/asia/23zealand.html

The New York Times...

Scores Killed in New Zealand Earthquake
Martin Hunter/Getty Images

Rescue workers searched for survivors through debris in Christchurch, New Zealand, after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake.

By MERAIAH FOLEY
Published: February 22, 2011

SYDNEY, Australia — A powerful earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand, during the city’s busy lunchtime rush on Tuesday, flattening office buildings, destroying several homes and killing scores of people, officials and eyewitnesses said.

Martin Hunter/Getty Images

A woman was rescued from a building after an earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Tuesday.

Prime Minister John Key said that at least 65 people were confirmed dead in the 6.3-magnitude quake. The mayor of Christchurch, Bob Parker, declared a state of emergency and ordered the evacuation of the city’s downtown area, The Associated Press reported.

Television footage from the scene by 3 News New Zealand showed emergency crews pulling shaken and injured victims from the stricken buildings, including one four-story structure, the Pine Gould Guinness building, that was partially damaged by the temblor. Emergency crews were working to evacuate people from another building that had caught fire shortly after the quake.

The search and rescue mission was being further complicated by repeated strong aftershocks to the zone, officials said.

“Government agencies and emergency services are still putting together a picture of the damage,” New Zealand’s deputy prime minister, Bill English, told reporters in the capital, Wellington.

Mr. English and the civil defense minister, John Carter, said that Christchurch’s main hospital, which sustained minimal damage, was preparing for multiple casualties. Some victims had already been airlifted to hospitals outside the earthquake zone.

The Christchurch Airport was closed and said on its Web site that it would reopen Wednesday morning only for domestic flights.

Photographs and video from Christchurch, New Zealand’s second-largest city with an urban area of nearly 400,00 residents, showed people running through the streets, massive landslides pouring rocks and debris into suburban streets and extensive damage to the iconic Christchurch Cathedral. One witness called it “the most frightening thing of my entire life.”

The quake hit the country’s South Island just before 1 p.m. local time. The tremor was just the latest in a series of large earthquakes to strike in recent months. In September, a magnitude 7.1 quake rocked the same area, but caused no casualties.

The United States Geological Survey said Tuesday’s initial 6.3-magnitude quake was followed by various aftershocks, and itself was part of an aftershock sequence from last September’s quake.

“There is more substantial damage to buildings than there was during the original earthquake,” Mr. Carter said. Tuesday’s tremor was centered about six miles from downtown Christchurch, and was only about three miles underground, possibly making it more destructive.

Several news outlets reported extensive devastation to the nearby town of Lyttelton, nearest the epicenter of the quake, but there were no immediate pictures from the scene.

“The earthquake itself was quite violent, a lot of movement,” said Jason Tweedie, a 40-year-old Christchurch resident who was sitting in his four-wheel drive when the quake struck. “It felt like there were about 10 people shaking the side of it, all at once, it was so much force.”

The force of the quake pushed thousands of gallons of water and silt into the streets, Mr. Tweedie said, and in some places the road appeared to open up and swallow several cars in his beachside neighborhood of New Brighton.

Julian Sanderson was in his apartment on the first floor of an old brick movie theater when the walls and ceiling began to crumble around him.

“When it all stopped, I had to kick out the front door to get out,” Mr. Sanderson, 41, said by telephone, standing in front of his nearly collapsed building. “I used to work in that building making furniture, but everything has just changed. What we have now is the clothes that we’re wearing.”