For the second time in five months, New Zealand's south island city of Christchurch was rocked by a major earthquake on Tuesday afternoon local time.Initial reports from Reuters news agency indicated that there were no reports of casualties, from the magnitude 6.3 temblor.But the New Zealand Herald is reporting casualties and major damage to downtown buildings, including the Christchurch Cathedral.
In it's live blog, the Herald reports phone lines down, water running through the streets, and several buildings with serious damage.The quake destroyed the spire of the iconic stone Christchurch Cathedral, which toppled into a central city square, and police said there was a report of two buses crushed under falling buildings.It shook the Canterbury region, which has a population of approximately 500,000. Radio New Zealand reports "that some people have been killed."
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker declared a state of emergency and ordered people to evacuate the city center. The airport was closed, and Christchurch Hospital was briefly evacuated before it was deemed safe and patients were returned. Power and telephone lines were knocked out, and pipes burst, flooding the streets with water. Some cars parked on the street were buried under rubble.Christchurch resident Jane Smith who works in the central city told the Herald a work colleague had just returned from helping rescue efforts after a building facade had collapsed on a bus on Colombo St.
"There's people dead. He was pulling them out of a bus."
"Columbo St is completely munted."
