Large earthquake rocks Christchurch
A large tree is brought down by the strong 5.5 magnitude quake. Photo: Stuff.co.nz
People are feared trapped in a building after Christchurch was rocked by a magnitude 5.5 earthquake.
The quake struck at 1pm local time, 10 kilometres east of Christchurch at Taylor's Mistake beach, at a depth of 11km, and sent people scrambling for cover.
A police spokesman said a building on the corner of Stanmore and Worcester streets had collapsed and people were feared trapped inside.
The quake followed a 4.3 magnitude tremor 10 kilometres north of Darfield half an hour earlier, and followed by a magnitude 4.4 quake eight minutes later 10 kilometres southeast of the CBD.
The quake is the latest in a series of dozens of aftershocks to hit Canterbury following the devastating February 22 earthquake that killed 182 people.
There were evacuations at Canterbury University, Westfield Riccarton mall and Pak 'n Save Wainoni.
One worker said items had been thrown from the shelves and the floor was littered with food and broken glass.
"It was pretty freaky. It felt like it was right under the supermarket," she said.
There were reports of a fire on Edgeware Road.
Residents in Beckenham and Merivale said crockery was smashed and shelves were emptied.
More liquefaction has been reported in Christchurch's eastern suburbs.
In the Liggins St area of Horseshoe Lake, the ground was bubbling, with sand spurting out of the ground, as happened in the first two major quakes, a resident said.
Phone lines were overloading.
Lyttelton Tunnel closed briefly, but has reopened.
WITNESS ACCOUNTS
A witness near the tunnel said the quake dislodged rocks from the Port Hills above, some of which looked to be as big as car tyres.
Central Christchurch resident Jon Hicks said "everything came out of the fridge" during the quake.
Other items had fallen over inside his home, but power and water supplies were still working as normal, he said.
Anthony Surynt was working in an electrical workshop in Sydenham, close to the CBD, when the quake hit. He says it came on really fast and lasted for about 10 to 15 seconds. "It was quite quick. I wouldn't be surprised if another building came down."
He says it didn't feel as big as the February 22 quake but compared it to the September quake. Mr Surynt ran out of the building as soon as he felt the earthquake, fearful of all the electrical equipment in the workshop. He has now gone back to work.
Christchurch east MP Aaron Gilmore said he was just getting out of his car when the quake hit and couldn't work out what was going on.
"I could see the ground rise on the road, it was a bit freaky."
There was cracking in the wall of his North New Brighton office that hadn't been there in the last quake and more liquefaction and water.
"I was here for that last 5.5 quake and it definitely felt bigger," Mr Gilmore said.
Twitter user Nathanael Boehm said his two-level house "swayed heaps". "Was up and ready to leap out a window if it started coming down.
"That would have been bloody close to a 6 magnitude quake. Heart going mental. Hope everyone ok!"
Other Twitter users also reported smashed items in their houses and car alarms being set of by the aftershock.
Richard Derham reported walking through the Arts Centre carpark and seeing "a couple of hundred cars start dancing".
More to come...
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