Christchurch Earthquake devastates city, multiple fatalities reported.

Written by The Big Picture | 22 February 2011

BREAKING NEWS:Update 9.08pm (local time): Christchurch hit by severe 6.3, very shallow earthquake at 12.51pm this afternoon, 10kms out of CBD. Extensive damage. Multiple fatalities expected with 65 confirmed dead at 6.15pm. Buildings in CBD still on fire. Aerial footage is heartbreaking.The South Island city of Christchurch in New Zealand has been struck again by another significant earthquake that has caused severe damage to buildings and infrastructure, multiple fatalities and very serious injury with people reported trapped under debris.

The 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck at 12.51pm, in the middle of the work day, at a very shallow 5kms deep, with the epicentre just 10 kilometres south east from the central city.

The footage on the TV right now is terrifying, with severe damage to buildings and roads in the CBD being shown raw on the 2 major TV networks in New Zealand. There is total chaos in the streets, as the aftershocks keep rumbling on into the afternoon.

We will use this page as a blog of sorts for now and just keep updating it as the disaster unfolds.

Twitter feeds are going crazy, as is Facebook, with friends and family in New Zealand trying to make contact as best they can with the phone service disrupted. The major telecommunication companies have requested minimal use of phones nationwide to attempt to direct resources to the disaster area.

The Police have confirmed that there have been multiple fatalities across the region.

The hospital has been evacuated, and many buildings are extensively damaged, with people trapped.
The defense force has been mobilised to help in a city now being described as a total war zone.

The iconic Christchurch City cathedral has been extensively damaged in the 6.3 earthquake, with the main tower collapsed in on itself.
Reports from some that where in the cathedral at the time of the quake are that there were people on the observation deck when the quake happened.
There are grave fears for them.
As yet the Cathedral is still off limits with Doctors from a nearby conference standing by.

The amazing aspect of this 6.3 earthquake is the close proximity to the central city of this earthquake, and most importantly at the very shallow depth of just 5kms, compared to the 7.1 earthquake in September that had a depth of 30km.
The devastation this time round is massive.

Footage has been posted to youtube of the damage in an area outside of Sumner just after the quake struck. The suburb of Sumner is being described as "uninhabitable"

Update 2.16pm (local time): Police have just confirmed that there have been multiple fatalities reported.

Update 2.26pm: Vodafone has requested that the entire country reduce their phone calls to emergency only. The system is overloaded.

Update 2.38pm: The city has run out of ambulances. Emergency services using cars.

Update 2.55pm: Survivors being pulled out of the collapsed 4 story Pyne Gould Guiness building. One of the office admins trying valiantly to keep track of who is still inside has just said that there are "alot" of people still inside. The building usually has around 200 working in it.

Update 3.02pm: Civilian 4X4's being used to ferry the injured. City is overwhelmed. Government has classed this as a Grade 3 Civil Emergency, the highest category.

Update 3.21pm: Police have just blocked news crews from entering some streets in the CBD due to utter devastation and deceased.

Update 3.47pm: The 111 emergency system is down in various places around the South Island. Bodies are being recovered. Death Toll not announced.

Update 4.10pm: Bodies are being recovered from the Christchurch youth hostel. The Christchurch Press building has collapsed with trapped employees calling relatives to let them know that some are alive and trapped.

Update 4.19pm: A 4th significant magnitude 5.0 aftershock occurred at 4.04 within 5km of Christchurch

Update 4.39pm: The government has just given a press conference acknowledging that this is indeed a very serious event, the NZ Govt has accepted international help and there are multiple fatalities.

Update 4.41pm: Parts of the suburbs of Lyttleton & Brighton are being described as "uninhabitable" with massive devastation as they are closer to epicentre.

Update 5.10pm: Many buildings now on fire in the CBD. Gas was shut off just after earthquake, power down.

Update 5.20pm: Just uploaded fresh video at head of article with unbelievable footage. We imagine that there are going to be high fatality counts. On TV right now is aerial footage. The utter devastation is unimaginable.
30 confirmed still trapped in the collapsed 4 story Pine Gould Guiness building. Footage just posted of the Cathedral. Doesn't look good for anyone that was inside the tower.

Update 5.39pm: People in central city now filling up Hagley Park as the evening rolls on and people unsure as to what to do. After seeing the footage of the buildings still crumbling a park is a safe option.

Update 6.11pm: 17 people have been confirmed dead with mayor Bob Parker stating that we need to prepare ourselves for "many, many more"

Update 6.22pm: Prime Minister John Key has arrived on the scene and the first announcement is a revised death toll. 65 now deceased. More expected. This is serious.

Update 9.08pm: Watching live recovery footage of the collapsed CTV that is still on fire. There are bodies under the blue tarp in the carpark. Night is falling and a light rain has set in.

Update 11.11pm: Rescue efforts still underway to recover survivors still trapped in collapsed buildings. Reports that survivors are calling relatives to let them know that they are alive but trapped. phone lines still overloaded. 350 Army personnel on the streets to provide first aid, rescue & recovery and security overnight. Reports that people are fleeing the city as large and violent aftershocks continue to rattle the nerves, and continue to damage already weakened buildings.