http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10671049
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Civil Defence has declared a state emergency in Christchurch following today's massive earthquake.
Civil Defence told Radio NZ the state of emergency had been called.
Christchurch has been left devastated after a massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck 30km west of the city at 4.35am this morning.
The quake was at a depth of 10-12km and was centred near Darfield, and has left large parts of the area without power, water or telephones.
New Brighton and other seaside areas are bracing for possible evacuation.
Christchurch Airport closed
All flights to Christchurch has been cancelled until at least midday.
Buildings, roads devastated across Christchurch
Street surfaces have risen up into a peak in the middle of a Christchurch road, while craters in the road have filled with water from ruptured mains. People in vehicles are trying to avoid them.
Among the affected streets are Hills Rd in Shirley and others in the suburb of St Albans.
In other areas roads have been blocked by debris after the several buildings collapsed onto the streets, leaving their interiors visible and the central city resembling a war zone.
Large groups of onlookers have gathered to survey the damage and take pictures with their cameras and mobile phones.
Damaged buildings tend to be brick buildings. Lots of areas where bricks have fallen have been cordoned off.
Several large aftershocks have already struck the region, and wardens dressed in high-visibility gear are asking people to stay well clear of buildings because of the high risk of further collapses.
Traffic lights are still not working in several places around the central city, creating gridlock as the traffic flow increases.
Mayor's advice for people affected by the quake
Mayor Bob Parker has just warned residents to conserve water after fears the water infrastructure of Christchurch may have been affected by the 7.4 magnitude quake.
Mr Parker has warned residents not to flush the toilet and to conserve water. There are fears the sewerage system may have been damaged.
Engineers are currently checking the city's priority infrastructure.
Mr Parker told Newstalk ZB that the morning had been "pretty traumatic."
He said that people were being taken to Christchurch Hospital for emergency treatment, and he although he had not heard any reports of serious injuries, he "wouldn't surprise me if there were some."
Mr Parker urged Cantabrians affected by the earthquake to check on their neighbours to ensure they were safe.
A state of emergency has not yet been declared, he said, although Civil Defence has already activated the National Crisis Management centre in Wellington.
Residents 'lucky to be alive'
Marsha Witehira, 30, was rescued by friend Tama Wharepapa, who literally pulled her to safety by her feet as a wall in her bedroom collapsed around her.
"It just missed my head," Ms Witehira said. "I'm very lucky to be alive. If Tama wasn't here to wake me from my sleep and pull me out, I really wouldn't like to think what the result would be."
Knee Doherty was asleep in her central Christchurch home when the building next door collapsed.
"We didn't even notice the movement as much as the noise," she said. "The back of the house is pretty much gone. All the house next door is gone. It was just a massive noise."
'A scary sight to see'
New Zealand Herald reporter Jarrod Booker,who lives in the central Christchurch suburb of Linwood, said he was woken by "extremely violent shaking."
He said the chimney from his next door neighbour's house had fallen and smashed through a car's windscreen.
"There have been a number of aftershocks of a much lesser degree since then."
Mr Booker's partner, Kineta Knight, said it was a scary sight to see.
"The scariest thing was the quake just felt like it would never end. It wasn't a sharp, sudden jolt. It was like being on a rollercoaster.
"Things were smashing everywhere, we could hear glass breaking."
Newstalk ZB reporter Craig Kerr spoke to Auckland host Pat Brittenden from the Christchurch office, which he said had sustained damage.
"Basically, the place is destroyed. Desks that were standing up are flattened against the ground. The filing cabinets are tipped over. The lifts in the building are obviously out of action."
"The building just along the road from us here has been flattened - it's on the ground," he said.
A Timaru resident told NZPA he was awakened by the shaking. His house was groaning and a bedside lamp crashed off its table.
Radio New Zealand said listeners were reporting particularly strong effects in Christchurch, with one saying his house "turned upside down" with crockery breaking.
What to do if you're in Christchurch:
All Christchurch Hospitals are operational, though people are asked to only come into hospital if it is an emergency.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said no destructive widespread tsunami threat existed based on historical earthquake and tsunami data. However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generated local tsunamis that could be destructive along coasts located within 100km of the earthquake epicentre, it said.
Civil Defence asked people to assess their home or workplace for damage; look for and extinguish small fires if safe to do so; and not overflow the phone lines with non-emergency calls. Check on your elderly neighbours.
______________________________________________________________
Civil Defence has declared a state emergency in Christchurch following today's massive earthquake.
Civil Defence told Radio NZ the state of emergency had been called.
Christchurch has been left devastated after a massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck 30km west of the city at 4.35am this morning.
The quake was at a depth of 10-12km and was centred near Darfield, and has left large parts of the area without power, water or telephones.
New Brighton and other seaside areas are bracing for possible evacuation.
Christchurch Airport closed
All flights to Christchurch has been cancelled until at least midday.
Buildings, roads devastated across Christchurch
Street surfaces have risen up into a peak in the middle of a Christchurch road, while craters in the road have filled with water from ruptured mains. People in vehicles are trying to avoid them.
Among the affected streets are Hills Rd in Shirley and others in the suburb of St Albans.
In other areas roads have been blocked by debris after the several buildings collapsed onto the streets, leaving their interiors visible and the central city resembling a war zone.
Large groups of onlookers have gathered to survey the damage and take pictures with their cameras and mobile phones.
Damaged buildings tend to be brick buildings. Lots of areas where bricks have fallen have been cordoned off.
Several large aftershocks have already struck the region, and wardens dressed in high-visibility gear are asking people to stay well clear of buildings because of the high risk of further collapses.
Traffic lights are still not working in several places around the central city, creating gridlock as the traffic flow increases.
Mayor's advice for people affected by the quake
Mayor Bob Parker has just warned residents to conserve water after fears the water infrastructure of Christchurch may have been affected by the 7.4 magnitude quake.
Mr Parker has warned residents not to flush the toilet and to conserve water. There are fears the sewerage system may have been damaged.
Engineers are currently checking the city's priority infrastructure.
Mr Parker told Newstalk ZB that the morning had been "pretty traumatic."
He said that people were being taken to Christchurch Hospital for emergency treatment, and he although he had not heard any reports of serious injuries, he "wouldn't surprise me if there were some."
Mr Parker urged Cantabrians affected by the earthquake to check on their neighbours to ensure they were safe.
A state of emergency has not yet been declared, he said, although Civil Defence has already activated the National Crisis Management centre in Wellington.
Residents 'lucky to be alive'
Marsha Witehira, 30, was rescued by friend Tama Wharepapa, who literally pulled her to safety by her feet as a wall in her bedroom collapsed around her.
"It just missed my head," Ms Witehira said. "I'm very lucky to be alive. If Tama wasn't here to wake me from my sleep and pull me out, I really wouldn't like to think what the result would be."
Knee Doherty was asleep in her central Christchurch home when the building next door collapsed.
"We didn't even notice the movement as much as the noise," she said. "The back of the house is pretty much gone. All the house next door is gone. It was just a massive noise."
'A scary sight to see'
New Zealand Herald reporter Jarrod Booker,who lives in the central Christchurch suburb of Linwood, said he was woken by "extremely violent shaking."
He said the chimney from his next door neighbour's house had fallen and smashed through a car's windscreen.
"There have been a number of aftershocks of a much lesser degree since then."
Mr Booker's partner, Kineta Knight, said it was a scary sight to see.
"The scariest thing was the quake just felt like it would never end. It wasn't a sharp, sudden jolt. It was like being on a rollercoaster.
"Things were smashing everywhere, we could hear glass breaking."
Newstalk ZB reporter Craig Kerr spoke to Auckland host Pat Brittenden from the Christchurch office, which he said had sustained damage.
"Basically, the place is destroyed. Desks that were standing up are flattened against the ground. The filing cabinets are tipped over. The lifts in the building are obviously out of action."
"The building just along the road from us here has been flattened - it's on the ground," he said.
A Timaru resident told NZPA he was awakened by the shaking. His house was groaning and a bedside lamp crashed off its table.
Radio New Zealand said listeners were reporting particularly strong effects in Christchurch, with one saying his house "turned upside down" with crockery breaking.
What to do if you're in Christchurch:
All Christchurch Hospitals are operational, though people are asked to only come into hospital if it is an emergency.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said no destructive widespread tsunami threat existed based on historical earthquake and tsunami data. However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generated local tsunamis that could be destructive along coasts located within 100km of the earthquake epicentre, it said.
Civil Defence asked people to assess their home or workplace for damage; look for and extinguish small fires if safe to do so; and not overflow the phone lines with non-emergency calls. Check on your elderly neighbours.
