5.8 magnitude quake swayed buildings in New Zealand’s second city
Not yet known if any fatalities: 26,000 homes without power
Locals described quake as ‘violent’ with four aftershocks
City still recovering from 6.3 February quake that killed 182 people
Experts say quakes in region will continue for next 4 years
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Scores of people were injured yesterday when the New Zealand city of Christchurch was rocked by an earthquake. The tremor – the third in just over a year – came ten months after a massive quake struck the city killing 182 people.
People ran into the streets when yesterday’s 5.8 magnitude quake caused buildings to sway shortly before lunchtime.
Aftershocks: As dust rises from rocks, people in Christchurch experienced four violent aftershocks
Off road: Cars in Christchurch became stuck in huge pot holes caused by the quake
Under water: The Burwood and New Brighton areas of Christchurch pictured shortly after the earthquake
Roads cracked open and liquid gushed up from the sandy ground on which much of the city lies. A Qantas jet bound for Christchurch had to be diverted.
Experts predict earthquakes will continue to hit New Zealand’s second city for the next four years. One in ten residents is preparing to leave as it becomes increasingly difficult to rebuild.
Christchurch, the largest city on South Island, has a population of around 367,000.
Amy Adams, associate minister for earthquake recovery, was among those shaken by the quake.
She said: ‘It was bad enough to have us diving under tables and grabbing each other. It’s not what anyone needs at the end of a stressful year.’
It was not immediately known if anyone had died – but one person was injured at a city mall, four people were rescued after being trapped by a rock fall and 60 were treated for minor injuries.
Yesterday’s quake comes just 10 months after February’s magnitude-6.3 – in almost the same spot – killed 182 people and crippled large areas. In September 2010 the area was hit by a magnitude-7.1.
The city is still struggling to reconstruct the hundreds of buildings damaged in both of the disasters, with every major aftershock creating months of additional delays because of its impact on global re-insurers who stand behind New Zealand’s insurance firms.
Aftermath: Darryl Freeman shovels liquefaction from the front of his Christchurch home which was struck by the earthquake
Holes in the ground: Liquefaction is seen seeping out of roads across Christchurch
Devastation: A seismograph shows the effect of the Christchurch earthquake
They have suffered huge losses because of the quakes, which has also wiped out the country’s $6 billion Earthquake Commission insurance fund.
ANZ national chief economist Cameron Bagrie said his organisation had predicted after the September 2010 quake that the city could lose as much as five per cent of its population,
But he told BusinessDesk that could now be a ‘pessimistic’ prediction. He said: ‘It could be, from today, that was being conservative. Now, looking at Christchurch, that five per cent seems too light and you could be up to 10 per cent.
‘That has massive consequences for infrastructure, networking, the whole capability of the city.’
In yesterday’s quake, fire engines, ambulances and police cars raced through the city to check on damage and casualties as people were asked not to use their mobile phones to keep emergency airwaves open.
Shoppers ran from supermarkets as goods crashed from shelves. Some people received injuries as they fled to the safety of streets. More than 26,000 homes were left without power after the shaking tripped switches, cutting supplies.
The first 5.8-magnitude quake struck on Friday afternoon, local time, 16 miles north of Christchurch and 2.5 miles deep, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Minutes later, a 5.3-magnitude aftershock hit.
About an hour after that, the city was shaken by another 5.8-magnitude temblor, the USGS said, though New Zealand’s geological agency GNS Science recorded it as 6.0.
Both aftershocks were less than three miles deep and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre did not issue an alert.
The earthquake was felt as far north as Wellington and Dunedin in the south.
Actress Robyn Malcolm tweeted: ‘F**k, that was terrifying.’ Film-maker Logan McMillan said: ‘The noises that come with it…it starts with a little shake before it hits in.
‘I have friends down at the mall and they said there was stuff falling off the shelves and ceiling panels falling in. ‘Everyone is evacuating. There’s a bit of panic. They said it’s chaos down there.’
Residents said serious thought would now have to be given as to whether the entire city should be abandoned for good, claiming the risks are too high and its future too uncertain.
Evacuation: Although most of the buildings in Christchurch were evacuated cars became trapped in sinkholes after the quake
Second clean up: Daniel Marsh and Jason Myburgh clean up liquefaction from Chadbury Street in Parklands
Broken banks: Government officials survey a collapsed bank and broken water line on the banks of the Avon River in Christchurch after the quake
Experts have predicted earthquakes will continue to hit the area for the next four years.
Many residents said insuring anything in Christchurch had become a ‘nightmare’ and it was not ‘worth their while’ to live there any more.
Callers flooded radio stations to tell of their individual scares. One caller to Newstalke ZB said the quake was ‘as vicious’ as the one in February.
‘The first thing I felt was a little movement and I said “What’s this?” and I said to my wife “Get under a door frame somewhere safe”. I just dived under the bench,’ said the caller.
Reporter Jo Scott said: ‘It’s absolutely frightening. My children are literally shaking and sobbing in my arms. That’s the worst bit. But we’re tough and we have a strong house and we’ll be OK.’
But many residents said they were preparing for a follow-up quake or aftershocks which could be equally damaging.
Social media users told of their fears and how they were fed up with the quakes hitting the city.
‘We knows, after a big one, that there are weeks and months of aftershocks ahead and that’s what makes it so hard to bear,’ wrote one person.
‘Still in the car, trying to get home,’ wrote one man. ‘Police cars and ambulances rushing past.’
The desire to live in other areas was also apparent among many.
‘If only we can relocate Christchurch somewhere else,’ said one man. Seismologist Ken Gledhill said the quake was further from the city than most of the previous aftershocks, but it followed the same pattern.
Smash:The 5.8 magnitude quake swayed buildings in the city causing shop damage but no injuries
Clean up operation: Staff at a Christchurch supermarket mop up smashed wine bottles
‘It’s likely there will be a series of aftershocks which will gradually drop off,’ he said.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker, who featured strongly after the February quake with regular updates for the rest of the world, was on holiday at Lake Taupo, on the North Island when he was told about the quake.
‘I’m desperately trying to get back home – I’ll be there later today. But it’s going toe one hell of a day.’ he said.
Police said all the shopping malls had been closed and patrols were searching the streets for damage.
Frightened: Terrified residents took to the streets during the aftershocks to avoid being hit by possible falling debris
Destruction: A dog walker looks at a car trapped in a sink hole caused by liquefaction in the Christchurch suburb of Parklands following the earthquake
Rubble: An aerial of the site where the Canterbury TV building in Christchurch collapsed in February
Ruins: A large steel frame supports the front of the Christchurch Cathedral in Cathedral Square after it was severely damaged in the February quake
