Updated with photos: New Zealand shaken by 7.0 quake (#EQNZ)

• Updated with photos: New Zealand shaken by 7.0 quake (#EQNZ) | Posted | National Post

Ron Nurwisah September 3, 2010 – 12:55 pm

@kebabette/Twitter




This is what the building above looked like before the quake.
@CentrePntMotel/Twitter




@cameronfindlay/Twitter
Quake damage in New Zealand.




Update: The USGS has downgraded the quake down to a 7.0. Photos of earthquake damage are also beginning to move on Twitter. Authorities are now waiting for daylight to properly figure out the amount of damage inflicted by the quake.
A magnitude 7.0 quake has hit near the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Christchurch is the second-largest city in New Zealand and has a population of about 340,000. The quake struck at about 4:30 a.m. on Saturday local time.
According to New Zealand newspaper The Press, aftershocks can be felt and most of the city has lost power. There are reports of minor injuries as well as reports of damage to roads, sewers, bridges and buildings. Christchurch police are advising people to remain calm.
The New Zealand Civil Defence and Emergency Management office has issued warnings for those in the affected area. Emergency management centres have been activated.
“There are power outages across the districts. Residents are strongly advised to avoid all non-essential travel while damage to buildings and infrastructure is assessed and necessary repairs are made,” a Civil Defence spokesman told The Press.
Resident Colleen Simpson told The Press that she and her neighbours are standing outside in their pyjamas and surveying the damage.
“Oh my God. There is a row of shops completely demolished right in front of me,” she said.
Related

• Large quake hits New Zealand near Christchurch

New Zealand Herald reporter Jarrod Booker described the quake as “extremely violent”
“Items were falling and crashing around the house. It was extremely violent shaking,” he said.
Twitter user C eramicka recounts the quake: “Just been woken up with a 7.4 earthquake..this hundred year old building was shaking and swaying like a birthday jelly..SCARY”
Twitter user twacsnz is reporting damage to buildings and cars, including collapsed building in downtown Christchurch.
The centre of the quake was 66 km deep and just 6 km away from the city.
“No destructive widespread tsunami threat exists based on historical earthquake and tsunami data,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

__________________
"Patriotism means being loyal to your country all the time and to its government when it deserves it."-- Mark Twain

"Inter arma silent Musae"--when the weapons speak, the muses fall silent.

An't nanum hearm deth, doth hwaet ye willath.

It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished
unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets. -Voltaire

Economic Left/Right: -3.88
Authoritarian/Libertarian: -4.36

State of emergency after 7.1 quake hits Christchurch
Stuff reporters
Last updated 09:55 04/09/2010

Chch state of emergency - national | Stuff.co.nz

A firefighter inspects a road near New Brighton.

Christchurch Earthquake
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BREAKING NEWS: A massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake has hit Christchurch, flattening buildings, seriously injuring residents and causing widespread damage.

The quake - initially reported at 7.4 magnitude but later downgraded - was centred 30km west of the city and 33km underground. It hit at 4.35am and has been followed by a series of strong aftershocks.

It was felt widely across the South Island and as far north as Wellington and Palmerston North.

Power is out to most of Christchurch and rural Canterbury, and the central city has been closed down by police because of the amount of rubble in the streets. Water pipes have ruptured and there are reports of flooding in some eastern Christchurch areas.

As many as 1000 residents from Christchurch's seaside suburbs may be evacuated due to flooding from broken water and sewage pipes. Civil Defence said a decision would be made shortly on whether to evacuate residents from New Brighton to Aranui or Linwood High Schools.

Emergency services have rescued about 10 people from holes in the ground including a person who was trapped in a pit in River Road after the ground collapsed.

The state of emergency was declared shortly before 10am after Civil Defence Minister John Carter described the quake as a significant disaster. He urged people not to panic.

So far, two people have been reported seriously injured in the quake.

One man in his fifties was hit by a falling chimney and is now in a serious condition in the intensive care unit in Christchurch Hospital.

Another man in his fifties has serious injuries after being cut by glass in the earthquake.

The Director of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, John Hamilton, said the National Crisis Management Centre has been activated to co-ordinate central government response if required.

Search and rescue teams have been deployed to the central city to check for trapped people in the rubble of the quake.

Christchurch fire service spokesman Mike Bowden there were a number of people trapped in their houses and other buildings by falling chimneys, jammed doors and blocked entrances.

However, there were no reports of people pinned underneath rubble so far.

Mr Bowden said the station had been flooded with calls but fire services were only responding to "cases of life and death."

RESIDENTS' CONCERN

Colleen Simpson, from Christchurch, said everyone was out in the street in their pyjamas after the quake hit, looking scared and worried. There was no power, buildings were down and the mobile network was failing.

"Oh my God. There is a row of shops completely demolished right in front of me," she said, from her car.

Simpson and her young family were heading to her sister's house, where there was still power, so everyone could be together.

» Read other residents' reports
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INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE

About five per cent of buildings in central Christchurch have been damaged and streets are littered with the rubble of building facades.

Many minor bridges have been damaged but all major bridges and road transport routes are okay. The surface of Avonside Drive, in eastern Christchurch, has a huge crack across it.

The rail network has been shutdown as inspections are made. Christchurch Airport has also been closed as a precaution but there is no early suggestion of damage.

The Fire Service has divided the city into grids and is sending staff into each area to assess the damage.

Residents have been asked not to drive into the central city.

All Canterbury emergency coordination centres - including Selwyn, Timaru, Waimakariri and Hurunui districts - have been activated.

Civil Defence is asking residents in those areas not to use their cellphones unless for emergencies. And people have been warned that cellphone coverage could fall out later today.

A spokesperson for lines company Orion said sewer lines and water pipes have ruptured, and whole substations are offline. Power is off to 75 percent of Christchurch and all of rural Canterbury.

Power was expected to be restored to 90 percent of the city by nightfall, however there would be pockets where power would not be able to be restored due to damage.

Damage reports for rural areas were yet to be done, the spokesperson said.

Residents have been urged to conserve water.

There have been reports of looting in central Christchurch following the quake.

Inspector Mike Coleman said police had cordoned off central Christchurch as it was dangerous but also because looters had already been active.

''There's considerable damage there, and we've already had reports of looting,'' he told Radio New Zealand.

''Shop windows are broken and obviously it's easy pickings for displays and things.''

Additional police staff had been sent out to patrol the city streets.

Police said damage and power outages have been reported from as far away as Dunedin.

The rail network in the South Island has been shut down while it is inspected for damage.

HEALTH CARE

Christchurch Hospital's emergency department has also seen a number of people with minor injuries - mainly cuts and bruises, but also some broken bones.

Canterbury District Health Board spokeswoman Michele Hider said they were still assessing damage to hospitals and still experiencing after shocks

People who need medical assistance for minor injuries they should go the 24 Hour after hours surgery in Bealey Ave.

She asked people not to go to Christchurch Hospital's Emergency Department unless it is an emergency.

Christchurch hospital is running on generator power.

St John Ambulance said services were fully functioning but urged medical alarm users not to activate them unless they were injured or unwell.

CITY RESPONSE

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker, speaking from the city's emergency centre, said City Care staff were trying to assess damage and clear roads where they could.

Extra staff were manning a phone line for the public to call in reports of damage 03-941 8999.

There were reports coming in of damage in the suburbs around Christchurch, as well as the coastal suburbs, he said.

"There is a lot of damage that I've been able to observe, mainly of old brick and masonry buildings".

He said people should check on their neighbours and there had been reports of minor injuries.

"I understand it's been very busy at Christchurch Hospital's emergency department this morning," he told Radio NZ.

__________________
"Patriotism means being loyal to your country all the time and to its government when it deserves it."-- Mark Twain

"Inter arma silent Musae"--when the weapons speak, the muses fall silent.

An't nanum hearm deth, doth hwaet ye willath.

It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished
unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets. -Voltaire

Economic Left/Right: -3.88
Authoritarian/Libertarian: -4.36

Powerful 7.1 quake hits New Zealand's South Island

By RAY LILLEY (AP) – 23 minutes ago

The Associated Press: Powerful 7.1 quake hits New Zealand's South Island

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck much of New Zealand's South Island early Saturday and caused widespread damage, but there were just two reports of serious injuries. Looters broke into some damaged shops in Christchurch, police said.

The quake, which hit 19 miles (30 kilometers) west of the southern city of Christchurch according to the state geological agency GNS Science, shook a wide area, with some residents saying buildings had collapsed and power was severed. No tsunami alert was issued.

GNS Science initially reported the quake as magnitude 7.4, but later downgraded it after re-examining quake records. The U.S. Geological Survey, in America, measured the quake at 7.0.

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker declared a state of emergency four hours after the quake rocked the region, warning people that continuing aftershocks could cause masonry to fall from damaged buildings.

The emergency meant parts of the city would be closed off and some buildings closed as unsafe, he said.

Minister of Civil Defence John Carter said a state of civil emergency was declared as the quake was "a significant disaster," and army troops were on standby to assist.

Parker said the "sharp, vicious earthquake has caused significant damage in parts of the city ... with walls collapsed that have fallen into the streets."

Chimneys and walls had fallen from older buildings, with roads blocked, traffic lights out and power, gas and water supplies disrupted, he said.

"The fronts of at least five buildings in the central city have collapsed and rubble is strewn across many roads," Christchurch resident Angela Morgan told The Associated Press.

"Roads have subsided where water mains have broken and a lot of people evacuated in panic from seaside areas for fear of a tsunami," she said, adding that "there is quite significant damage, really, with reports that some people were trapped in damaged houses."

Christchurch Hospital said it had treated two men with serious injuries and a number of people with minor injuries.

One was hit by a falling chimney and was in serious condition in intensive care, while a second was badly cut by glass, hospital spokeswoman Michele Hider said.

Christchurch police reported road damage in parts of the city of 400,000 people, with a series of sharp aftershocks rocking the area. Police officers cordoned off some streets where rubble was strewn about. Video showed parked cars crushed by heaps of fallen bricks, and buckled roads.

"There is considerable damage in the central city and we've also had reports of looting, just shop windows broken and easy picking of displays," Police Inspector Mike Coleman told New Zealand's National Radio.

Police Inspector Alf Stewart told the radio that some people had been arrested for looting.

"We have some reports of people smashing (storefront) windows and trying to grab some property that is not theirs ... we've got police on the streets and we're dealing with that," he said.

Suburban dweller Mark O'Connell said his house was full of smashed glass, food tossed from shelves, with sets of drawers, TVs and computers tipped over.

"She was a beauty, we were thrown from wall to wall as we tried to escape down the stairs to get to safety," he told the AP. "It was pitch black (with the power cut) and we walked through smashed glass everywhere on the floor."

The quake hit at 4:35 a.m. (1635 GMT) shaking thousands of residents awake, New Zealand's National Radio reported.

Civil defense agency spokesman David Millar said at least six bridges in the region had been badly damaged, while the historic Empire hotel in the port town of Lyttelton was "very unstable" and in danger of collapse. Roads, shops and other buildings in rural towns around Christchurch had also suffered damage, with some shop fronts knocked down in the jolt.

Inspector Coleman said residents of the city's low-lying eastern suburbs had been advised to be ready to evacuate their properties, after power, gas, sewerage and water systems were cut by the quake.

Resident Colleen Simpson said panicked residents ran into the street in their pajamas. Some buildings had collapsed, there was no power, and the mobile telephone network had failed.

"Oh my God. There is a row of shops completely demolished right in front of me," Simpson told the Stuff news Web site.

Another person from Christchurch, Kevin O'Hanlon, said the jolt was extremely powerful.

"I was awake to go to work and then just heard this massive noise and 'boom,' it was like the house got hit. It just started shaking. I've never felt anything like it," he told the news Web site.

Christchurch International Airport was closed after the quake as a precaution, as experts prepared to check the runways and terminal buildings, a spokesman said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said "no destructive widespread tsunami threat existed, based on historical earthquake and tsunami data."

New Zealand sits above an area of the Earth's crust where two tectonic plates collide. The country records more than 14,000 earthquakes a year — but only about 150 are felt by residents. Fewer than 10 a year do any damage.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

__________________
"Patriotism means being loyal to your country all the time and to its government when it deserves it."-- Mark Twain

"Inter arma silent Musae"--when the weapons speak, the muses fall silent.

An't nanum hearm deth, doth hwaet ye willath.

It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished
unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets. -Voltaire

Economic Left/Right: -3.88
Authoritarian/Libertarian: -4.36

Canterbury quake over, but fear remains
By STAFF REPORTERS - Sunday Star Times

Canterbury quake over, but fear remains | Stuff.co.nz

They were dragged from their sleep at 4:36am, confused and terrified as an earthquake tore the ground apart, buckling roads, remaking the landscape and wrecking homes and shops.

Yet as yesterday dawned Canterbury residents could barely believe they had got through the country's most damaging earthquake since the 1931 Napier disaster with so little loss of life.

The 7.1 magnitude quake, centred 40km west of Christchurch, shut down the central city and caused up to $2 billion in property damage, but the human toll appears to be just one death - a heart attack during the quake - and the serious injury of two men hit by window glass and chimney bricks.

By late morning there was an period of panic that at times threatened to turn ugly.

Supermarkets sold out of water amid scenes one witness described as ''like something from a UN aid mission in Africa''. Patches of central Christchurch were gridlocked as residents rushed to fill up with petrol before the pumps ran dry. They didn't.

Then the panic passed. Those who had been utterly terrified during that endless shaking were left under a glorious spring sun looking at a CBD that resembled a war zone.

The petrol-pump gridlock was replaced by a surge of rubber-neckers heading for the Christchurch inner city. Scratchy-eyed from the early start but twitchy with adrenaline, the city took on a carnival atmosphere as strangers compared notes, and teenagers with cellphones chattered and took photos amid the rubble.

Vodafone boss Paul Brislen eventually asked TVNZ to stop asking for people to send in images and video clips because there were concerns the stressed cellphone network might choke under the strain.

One wedding party, unable to dine at a wrecked restaurant, relocated to McDonalds, and the photographer shot the newly-weds against the rubble.

Throughout the day media arrived to collect stories of survival, but also of strangeness like the Victoria St clock-tower frozen at 24 minutes to five, the swimming pool that popped from its hole, the sandy mud that bubbled from the ground, and the tragedy of Gidro the lemur, who drowned at Orana Wildlife Park.

And all those shattered brick chimneys, scattered across the roofs of timber-framed homes that flexed with the quake and survived.

The damage is severe, yet haphazard. Head out from the city centre and you can drive for kilometres without seeing anything unusual, then suddenly there's a stretch of torn tarmac and ruined shop frontages.

Yesterday there was an astonishing atmosphere of resilience and even relief, as a community rallied and shared its bottled water with neighbours. Early reports of looting in the dawn hours were later discounted by police, who said there had been nothing more than ''minor'' disorder.

Sunday Star-Times reporter Lois Cairns said even those who had lost almost everything were remarkably upbeat as they faced the heartbreaking task of sifting through broken possessions or saying goodbye to the wreckage of the family home.

But the fear isn't quite over yet. As blogger Samuel Williams put it, the angst didn't end with the big shake; the aftershocks kept coming all day, some of them very strong and others ''like groans deep from the earth, barely perceptible rumbles on the edge of your hearing''.

One of the largest, with a magnitude of 5.4, struck just before 5pm last night. Today, Cantabrians will be hyper-alert for more, though the risk of large shocks falls away sharply after 48 hours.

Yesterday, the adrenaline kept Canterbury going, but today comes the reckoning. The Earthquake Commission reckons damage claims could reach hundreds of millions of dollars for houses alone; and up to $2 billion in total.

Last night, Christchurch CBD was still locked down. Eighty Auckland police officers flew into the city to bolster the stretched local force and police warned that those breaking last night's 7pm to 7am curfew would be arrested.

The state of emergency is expected to remain in place today, to allow contractors to reduce the risk from falling debris. Last night Prime Minister John Key said the Army would be helping with disaster relief from tomorrow.

The gas leaks and powercuts, and burst water mains will be put right in the coming day and weeks. Fixing every cracked road, buckled railway line and damaged house will take much longer.

Yesterday a psychologist told the Sunday Star-Times that parents should not be surprised if children experienced an ''acute stress reaction'' for up to a month.

The nightmares may indeed fade that fast, but for adults and children, the impact of yesterday's big quake will resonate for years.

__________________
"Patriotism means being loyal to your country all the time and to its government when it deserves it."-- Mark Twain

"Inter arma silent Musae"--when the weapons speak, the muses fall silent.

An't nanum hearm deth, doth hwaet ye willath.

It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished
unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets. -Voltaire

Economic Left/Right: -3.88
Authoritarian/Libertarian: -4.36

My son and his family live in Christchurch. Ben called me yesterday morning to report that they were still okay, although the brick chimney on their house had fallen down. I later talked to Rachel when Ben was out getting bottled water, because their water supply was not working. Rachel is Australian and it was her first experience of a NZ earthquake, but she seems to have taken it in her stride.

Christchurch has not traditionally been seen as being at risk of earthquakes. Modern NZ earthquake construction standards preclude brick buildings for low and medium rise but many of the heritage buildings damaged yesterday were brick built, before the risk was understood.

I was in Christchurch a couple of weekends ago, staying with Ben and Rachel and kids. They took me to the Lanes precinct, which is where a couple of blocks of inner city 19th century warehouses have been refurbished. The back lanes now host funky design, cafes, bars and restaurants (and above the street level, some expensive city apartments).



Most of the Lanes buildings were 19th century brick and from the news shots I have seen, that area has sustained a lot of damage.

Prime Minister John Key has estimated that the repair bill will be about $2 billion.

Those who believe that fiscal stimulus saps the moral fibre of a nation should argue that bricks from damaged buildings should rest where they fall.

Aftermath photos from the New Zealand Herald here.