Massive Tremblement de Terre à Christchurch

Multiple fatalities as massive quake destroys Christchurch
Yahoo!7 February 22, 2011, 11:18 am

Call the DFAT hotline for information on loved ones in the quake: 1300 555 135

UPDATE 12.28pm AEST

Triage centres have been established for people with injuries at:
– Latimer Square, Central City
– Spotlight Mall, Sydenham

– Sanitarium, Papanui

Police advise that people who have evacuated their homes or buildings should report to their nearest Civil Defence sector post – usually schools.

Multiple fatalities have been reported at several locations in the central city.

Witnesses have also reported seeing people crushed by falling buildings, including two buses.

All airports and airspace in New Zealand have been shut down.

The NZ Herald reports police have called in the defence forces to help evacuate trapped residents and the entire CBD.

UPDATE 12.10PM AEST

A massive earthquake has rattled Christchurch on Tuesday morning, causing widespread devastation across the city.

GNS Science says the 6.3 magnitude quake struck 20 km southeast of Christchurch, at a depth of 5 km.

Witnesses are quoted as saying that buildings « are down all around Cathedral Square in the city » and the church has been destroyed.

An eyewitness photo of Christchurch quake. Photo: Twitter

A report also quotes a spokeswoman saying Christchurch Hospital is being evacuated.

The Christchurch police central police station has also been evacuated and there are unconfirmed reports of injuries.

The town centre is packed with people, hugging and crying, while the concrete has lifted in places with trees uprooted and the Avon River has turned brown.

« It’s carnage. Buildings have collapsed. Fire. Panic. Mayhem. The city is in gridlock, » Christcurch businessman Ben Kepes has been quoted as saying by the National Business Review.

An eyewitness photo of Christchurch quake. Photo: Twitter

New Zealand Herald reporter Jarrod Booker has reported that people have left buildings and are out on the street.

He says the shake lasted approximately a minute and was « extremely violent – rocking buildings back and forth » and that the car park at Christchurch Star has « turned into a river with huge cracks and the roads had risen in areas ».

Twitter users have reported feeling the quake in Wellington and Dunedin. Tremors have also been felt in Greymouth and Timaru.

Twitter user ‘michael murty’ says « major earthquake in Christchurch. Huge damage to my work. »

The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management says the national crisis management centre had been activated.

Telecom said it was investigating reports all Christchurch phone lines were down.

The TVNZ building in Christchurch has collapsed, a source, who described the quake as « massive », tells NZPA.

The Kiwi has fallen 0.5c on the news of the earthquake.
This is the second major earthquake to have hit Christchurch in less than six months. In September, a 7.1 quake left a trail of physical destruction in its wake.