Strong Aftershock Rattles Christchurch

[webfact]

Strong aftershock rattles Christchurch

Wellington - The New Zealand city of Christchurch has been hit by a new series of strong quakes of up to magnitude 5.5, causing damage around the region, local media reported Monday.

Christchurch has been hit by dozens of aftershocks following a 6.3-magnitude quake on February 22 which killed 182 people and destroyed the city centre. The city had already been hit by a magnitude-7.1 earthquake in September which caused widespread damage but no fatalities.

Monday's 5.5-magnitude quake struck at 1 pm (0100 GMT). Its epicenter was 10 kilometres east of Christchurch at a depth of 11 kilometres.

Power was cut in many areas and water pipes and other structures were damaged. Many people fled buildings, but there have been no reports of deaths or serious injury yet.

The 5.5-magnitude quake followed a 4.3 shake half an hour earlier, and was followed by a magnitude-4.4 earthquake less than 10 minutes later.

-- The Nation 2011-06-13

[webfact]

New quakes rock New Zealand's Christchurch

CHRISTCHURCH (AFP) - A series of strong quakes, including a 6.0-magnitude tremor, rocked New Zealand's stricken Christchurch Monday, causing one building to collapse and prompting evacuations.

Power company Orion said electricity had been cut to 54,000 homes. The US Geological Survey measured the latest quake at a depth of nine kilometres (5.6 miles) and some 14 kilometres from the country's second largest city.

It followed a string of shocks early Monday, including a 5.2-magnitude jolt which caused building damage in the city, still recovering from a deadly 6.3 magnitude disaster in February.

"It's been a nasty shake. People will be shaken," Christchurch mayor Bob Parker, adding that emergency services would have sprung to action within seconds of the jolts, but it was too early to detail injuries.

"I just hope that the reports of injuries I'm getting are minor injuries," he told Sky News.

Police confirmed that a structure had fallen over in central Christchurch, much of which is still blocked off after the February 22 earthquake levelled much of the city, but said nobody was trapped.

"We've checked the collapsed building and it's all clear," a police spokesman told AFP. The size of the building was not known.

The 6.0 magnitude aftershock prompted police to evacuate parts of the damaged central city known as the red zone, while rock falls had closed several bridges and prompted the closure of one police station.

Police urged residents to check on friends and neighbours, and to stay at home and avoid travelling if possible, but residents gridlocked the roads as they attempted to find their way home and reach family.

The series of quakes came just hours after the opening of an inquest examining why an office block collapsed in February's earthquake, killing more than 100 people, including 65 foreign students.

When the first tremors hit around lunchtime, lawyers and relatives of those killed when the Canterbury Television (CTV) building toppled and then burst into flames on February 22 fled the building as windows rattled.

The inquest was briefly suspended before being hit by the later quakes.

Geoscience Australia seismologist David Jepson said people would have been shaken quite strongly after New Zealand's South Island had endured much seismic activity in recent months.

"It seems like they are going to keep happening. Since they had that really big earthquake it seems to me like it activated all these different faults. But it's just a guessing game what is going to happen next," he said.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-06-13

[TechnikaIII]

Quite aside from property damage, it is a nerve shattering experience.

[ryladie99]

Quite aside from property damage, it is a nerve shattering experience.

yes, you are right and I know what you are talking about. I live in California and I experience Earth Quake so many times. As a matter of fact I am preparing my family every day. No one will help us at least 3 days or might be a week if it hit my town.

[handydog]

http://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/quakes/recent_quakes.html

a link to th NZ GNS site for those that would like more info

[Mur]

I live in christchurch we've had over 6000 aftershocks since the 7.1 last sep. Had over 20 since the 6 magnitude this afternoon. For the 3rd time water and sand have poured up thru the ground around our house and bottles were hurled around the kitchen and all other rooms and lots of stuff broken. My thai wife and I had to hold onto each other to stay upright. Power back on but no water and still no toilet since the 6.3 on feb 22nd. It's pretty scary I can tell ya. Many suburbs including ours won't be able to be rebuilt on

[normac44]

As a Kiwi living in Melbourne and knowing the area in and around ChCh I feel sorry for them.I am just thankful I have no relatives living there.

I also feel for all of the people at Melbourne airport this morning who had their flight to Christchurch cancelled because of the quake and the Volcano ash.

[biplanebluey]

Quite aside from property damage, it is a nerve shattering experience.

Yea i'm a kiwi too from Tauranga.That's a fair way from Christchurch i know but i have experienced minor quakes,and i was there when Ruapehu blew it's top a few years ago. My heart goes out to you,but you must be feeling the heat after everything thats been happening. Good luck to you and God bless you for a happier future--------Dougal

[newtronbom]

Many had just rebuilt their homes - only to have them collapse again. A special village built just for the elderly, is near all but destroyed. These poor people paid around NZ$350,000 for a small 2 room chalet and will only get less than NZ$100,000 from Government flood earthquake insurance fund. The owner of the land, who was paying insurance from his company to cover the chalets as per his contract, is now reported to be keeping it all for himself! At their age and in that situation, many of the old people can not ever recover from this. Christchurch was all built on reclaimed swamp land; and now liquification from the quakes and after shocks, is causing springs and dirty fountains to pop up everywhere over most of the city - including inside many homes, businesses and factories. I was on Skype with my Mum this morning. She luckily lives far enough away thank goodness and she told me she had just listened to a lady on a talk back show who had been driving to pick up her kids after an early morning quake hit, when the road in front of her car started rolling away in waves and a huge hole appeared, which she just managed to avoid, but which another car just drove into. She said she could only see a bit of the rear end of the other car after it went in. Scientists have now discovered two new previously unknown fault lines running under the city. Words just don't do justice, to describe the catastrophe and suffering in Christchurch. These after shocks have been constant, since the big quake last year and no one there they say, can ever relax again. Some people have even rebuilt their homes twice, just to have them collapse again! This even though the building requirements in NZ are very strict. There is no corruption or corner cutting there either, unlike some places we all know.....Many can't afford now, to rebuild again. Many don't want to and are leaving for good. It's unclear now, if Christchurch can ever fully recover from this. The Port was a major shipping point for the South Island. Now companies are afraid to move their ships in. Mum said that the deep water port of Picton near her, may see a lot more shipping in future. Freight can be Railed or Trucked down the rest of the Island - no help to Christchurch though, poor people.

Edited June 13, 2011 by newtronbom

[rogerman]

I'm not trying to be funny or anything, but my son lives in Christchurch and i in Thailand...... Got a text from him and he said" i'm dead but i'm ok!!".... At least he's ok i suppose!!

[Atmos]

more earthquakes in last few days, including a 5.4 last night.

These areas will I presume be left undeveloped forever, if govt pays out presume they will own the land, which could never be sold for future redevelopment - govt as vendor would be liable, and no bank would finance, or insurance?

I wonder what the 10% who are left will think; they will be isolated, property values will plunge, despite having survived i cannot imagine anyone wanting to buy there; in a way they may have been better off to have had their hoses damaged and get a payout to start somewhere else. The stress must be huge.

Details of Christchurch earthquake announcement emerge

About 5000 Christchurch homes in six earthquake-damaged suburbs are expected to be covered in the Government announcement tomorrow.

Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee today confirmed that decisions on the fate of some Christchurch homes and sections would be revealed tomorrow.

The eastern suburbs of Bexley, Avondale, Hoseshoe Lake, Burwood, Dallington, and Avonside would be named as the worst hit, 3News reported.

more

Edited June 22, 2011 by Scott
Fair use policy

[Scott]

Please post only the first 3 sentences to an article and then a link to the remainder.

[Atmos]

Four CTV victims 'incinerated'

Last updated 16:02 30/08/2011

It was today revealed that some earthquake victims were incinerated by the fire that engulfed the Canterbury Television (CTV) building, suggesting they could have survived its collapse.

Day two of the inquest into the victims of the February earthquake concentrated on determining the deaths of 64 foreign students who were studying English at King's Education on the third floor of the CTV building.

Of the 64 who died, 17 were found to have died from ''effects of fire'', with four of those incinerated.

read more

the inquest reported in the above article finalises the process for the six Thai students who died in the CTV building

• Siriphan Wongbunngam, 27
• Jittra 'Tarr' Waithayatadapong, 40
• Wanpen 'Nok' Preekland, 20
• Haruthaya 'Jenny' Luangsurapeesakul, 31
• Phimphorn Liangchuea, 41
• Thanydha 'Kitty' Intarangkun, 19

RIP

Edited August 31, 2011 by Atmos