A violent earthquake shook the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, midday Tuesday, killing a reported 65 people.
The 6.3 magnitude quake and two aftershocks – one a magnitude 5.6 and another 5.5 – collapsed hundreds of buildings, including the 130-year-old Christchurch Cathedral.
An estimated 200 people are still trapped in the wreckage and the death toll is expected to rise.
Eighty percent of the city has no electricity or water, and phone service has been severely degraded throughout the Christchurch area.
New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Bill English has reported that 350 military personnel are in Christchurch providing aid. Search and rescue teams from the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States have been dispatched.
Internet search giant Google has launched a person-finder application on its Web site to help find earthquake victims.
This latest disaster in Christchurch follows an even stronger 7.0 earthquake that hit the city in September 2010. Though that earthquake was more powerful, it resulted in no deaths as its epicenter was more than 30 miles west of the city.
This time, however, the quake’s epicenter was just a few miles outside the city. Additionally, many buildings had not yet been fully repaired from the previous disaster, which left them vulnerable to collapse in this latest earthquake.
By Adriana Padilla at PeterGreenberg.com.
Related Links: ABC News, Telegraph (UK), Christian Science Monitor, Google’s Christchurch App
Related Links on PeterGreenberg.com:
- Off The Brochure Travel Guide: Christchurch, New Zealand
- Australia & New Zealand Travel section
- Budget Travelers Rejoice: Competition Makes Australian Airfares Cheaper Than Ever
- Natural Disasters section
- Asia-Pacific Region Copes With Natural Disasters, Loss Of Tourism
