City curfew after major quake hits New Zealand
Source: Agencies |
September 5, 2010, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
Chimneys and walls crumbled to the ground, roads cracked in half and residents were knocked off their feet as a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake rocked New Zealand's South Island early yesterday. The prime minister said it was a miracle no one was killed.
Only two serious injuries were reported from the quake, which shook thousands of people awake when it struck at 4:35am near the southern city of Christchurch. There were reports of some people trapped inside damaged buildings, though none appeared to be crushed by rubble, and a few looters broke into some damaged shops in the city of 400,000, officials said.
Power was cut across the region, roads were blocked by debris, and gas and water supplies were disrupted, Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said. Chimneys and walls of older buildings were reduced to rubble, and Parker warned that continuing aftershocks could cause masonry to fall from damaged buildings.
'Feeling scared'
"We're all feeling scared. We've just had some significant aftershocks," he told reporters. "Tonight we're just people in the face of a massive natural disaster, trying to help each other ... and we're grateful we haven't lost a life."
State geological agency GNS Science reported 29 aftershocks in the 14 hours following the quake, ranging in strength from 3.7 to 5.4.
A state of emergency was declared and army troops were on standby to assist after the quake, which was centered 30 kilometers west of Christchurch, according to GNS Science.
Prime Minister John Key, who flew to Christchurch to inspect the damage, said it was "an absolute miracle" that no one had died.
He warned it could be months before the full extent of the damage was known, but said initial assessments suggested it could cost at least NZ$2 billion (US$1.4 billion) to repair.
As evening approached and a damaged historic building near the city center burst into flames, officials ordered residents to stay in their homes until this morning. Parker said the curfew would help prevent people from going near about 120 inner-city buildings that were badly damaged.
Up to 90 extra police officers were flying to Christchurch to help, and troops were likely to join the recovery effort tomorrow, he said.
Rescue workers set up accommodation centers at schools in suburban areas to house hundreds of people forced out of their damaged homes, civil defense spokesman Murray Sinclair 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.
"We were thrown from wall to wall as we tried to escape down the stairs to get to safety," he said.
Sheep farmer Paul Cowie from the town of Darfield, near the quake's epicenter, said his family was knocked to the floor. "We couldn't stand up, but we had to run across the house to get to the kids ... and they were shaken up," he said. The family fled the house and huddled in a car parked in a field.
Christchurch fire service spokesman Mike Bowden said a number of people had been trapped in buildings by fallen chimneys and blocked entrances, but there were no reports of people pinned under rubble. Rescue teams were out checking premises.
Christchurch Hospital said it had treated two men with serious injuries and a number of people with minor injuries.
Only two serious injuries were reported from the quake, which shook thousands of people awake when it struck at 4:35am near the southern city of Christchurch. There were reports of some people trapped inside damaged buildings, though none appeared to be crushed by rubble, and a few looters broke into some damaged shops in the city of 400,000, officials said.
Power was cut across the region, roads were blocked by debris, and gas and water supplies were disrupted, Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said. Chimneys and walls of older buildings were reduced to rubble, and Parker warned that continuing aftershocks could cause masonry to fall from damaged buildings.
'Feeling scared'
"We're all feeling scared. We've just had some significant aftershocks," he told reporters. "Tonight we're just people in the face of a massive natural disaster, trying to help each other ... and we're grateful we haven't lost a life."
State geological agency GNS Science reported 29 aftershocks in the 14 hours following the quake, ranging in strength from 3.7 to 5.4.
A state of emergency was declared and army troops were on standby to assist after the quake, which was centered 30 kilometers west of Christchurch, according to GNS Science.
Prime Minister John Key, who flew to Christchurch to inspect the damage, said it was "an absolute miracle" that no one had died.
He warned it could be months before the full extent of the damage was known, but said initial assessments suggested it could cost at least NZ$2 billion (US$1.4 billion) to repair.
As evening approached and a damaged historic building near the city center burst into flames, officials ordered residents to stay in their homes until this morning. Parker said the curfew would help prevent people from going near about 120 inner-city buildings that were badly damaged.
Up to 90 extra police officers were flying to Christchurch to help, and troops were likely to join the recovery effort tomorrow, he said.
Rescue workers set up accommodation centers at schools in suburban areas to house hundreds of people forced out of their damaged homes, civil defense spokesman Murray Sinclair 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.
"We were thrown from wall to wall as we tried to escape down the stairs to get to safety," he said.
Sheep farmer Paul Cowie from the town of Darfield, near the quake's epicenter, said his family was knocked to the floor. "We couldn't stand up, but we had to run across the house to get to the kids ... and they were shaken up," he said. The family fled the house and huddled in a car parked in a field.
Christchurch fire service spokesman Mike Bowden said a number of people had been trapped in buildings by fallen chimneys and blocked entrances, but there were no reports of people pinned under rubble. Rescue teams were out checking premises.
Christchurch Hospital said it had treated two men with serious injuries and a number of people with minor injuries.
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