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Quakes struck NZ city but no damage
Source: Agencies |
December 24, 2011, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A SERIES of strong earthquakes struck the New Zealand city of Christchurch yesterday, rattling buildings, sending goods tumbling from shelves and prompting terrified holiday shoppers to flee into the streets. There was no tsunami alert issued and the city appeared to have been spared major damage.
One person was injured at a city mall and was taken to a hospital, and four people had to be rescued after being trapped by a rock fall, Christchurch police said in a statement. But there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or widespread damage in the city, which is still recovering from a devastating February earthquake that killed 182 people and destroyed much of the downtown area.
The first 5.8-magnitude quake struck yesterday afternoon, 26 kilometers north of Christchurch and 4 kilometers deep, the United States Geological Survey said. Minutes later, a 5.3-magnitude aftershock hit. About an hour after that, the city was shaken by another magnitude-5.8 temblor, the USGS said, though New Zealand's geological agency GNS Science recorded that aftershock as a magnitude-6.0. Both aftershocks were less than 5 kilometers deep.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center didn't issue an alert.
The city's airport was evacuated after the first quake and all city malls shut as a precaution.
About 60 people were treated for minor injuries, including fractures, injuries sustained in falls and people with "emotional difficulties," Christchurch St John Ambulance operations manager Tony Dowell said.
"We have had no significant injuries reported as a result of the earthquakes today."
Warwick Isaacs, demolitions manager for the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, said most buildings had been evacuated "as an emergency measure." The area has seen over 7,000 earthquakes since a magnitude-7.0 quake rocked the city on September 4, 2010. That quake did not cause any deaths.
Rock falls had occurred in one area and there was liquefaction - when an earthquake forces underground water up through loose soil - in several places, Isaacs told New Zealand's National Radio.
"There has been quite a lot of stuff falling out of cupboards, off shelves in shops and that sort of thing, again," he said.
Isaacs said his concern was for demolition workers involved in tearing down buildings wrecked in previous quakes.
The shaking was severe in the nearby port town of Lyttelton, the epicenter of the February 22 quake.
One person was injured at a city mall and was taken to a hospital, and four people had to be rescued after being trapped by a rock fall, Christchurch police said in a statement. But there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or widespread damage in the city, which is still recovering from a devastating February earthquake that killed 182 people and destroyed much of the downtown area.
The first 5.8-magnitude quake struck yesterday afternoon, 26 kilometers north of Christchurch and 4 kilometers deep, the United States Geological Survey said. Minutes later, a 5.3-magnitude aftershock hit. About an hour after that, the city was shaken by another magnitude-5.8 temblor, the USGS said, though New Zealand's geological agency GNS Science recorded that aftershock as a magnitude-6.0. Both aftershocks were less than 5 kilometers deep.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center didn't issue an alert.
The city's airport was evacuated after the first quake and all city malls shut as a precaution.
About 60 people were treated for minor injuries, including fractures, injuries sustained in falls and people with "emotional difficulties," Christchurch St John Ambulance operations manager Tony Dowell said.
"We have had no significant injuries reported as a result of the earthquakes today."
Warwick Isaacs, demolitions manager for the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, said most buildings had been evacuated "as an emergency measure." The area has seen over 7,000 earthquakes since a magnitude-7.0 quake rocked the city on September 4, 2010. That quake did not cause any deaths.
Rock falls had occurred in one area and there was liquefaction - when an earthquake forces underground water up through loose soil - in several places, Isaacs told New Zealand's National Radio.
"There has been quite a lot of stuff falling out of cupboards, off shelves in shops and that sort of thing, again," he said.
Isaacs said his concern was for demolition workers involved in tearing down buildings wrecked in previous quakes.
The shaking was severe in the nearby port town of Lyttelton, the epicenter of the February 22 quake.
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