Yesterday a massive earthquake stuck one of the main cities in New Zealand: Christchurch. They had a big earthquake back in September 2010, and this one is technically an aftershock. Although the reading on the richter scale is 6.3 (smaller than the Sept quake) it was shallower and centred right in the city. These people have suffered 6 months of aftershocks, with over 5000 tremors, only to have another big shake devastate their city.
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| Christchurch Cathedral, before and after the earthquake. |
The damage is extreme, with massive high-rise buildings collapsing into themselves, killing many people (death toll currently sitting at 75, there are still 300 missing). Rescue workers are currently searching desperately for survivors.
Liquefaction has appeared, with the soil turning to soft grey sludge swallowing cars. Roads have been torn up. Power has been cut, because the sub-stations have sunk into the mud. There have been landslides with boulders and rocks the size of houses squashing buildings. Cars in the central city have been crushed by falling bricks and building facades. Sewer lines are broken and water supplies too, so there is no fresh water. It's unbelievable. I'm watching the extended news coverage showing image after image of terror.
Learn more at the links below, or Google "Christchurch earthquake".
You can also
donate to the New Zealand Red Cross here.
Image slideshow of quake damaged Christchurch
News article, most damage in the CBD of Christchurch
Aerial video of damage in Christchurch district
A
map of the Christchurch earthquake and aftershocks
New Zealand is a small country and this disaster has just been declared our first ever National State of Emergency.
