http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10707997
Latest updates: Christchurch earthquake
BREAKING1:38 PM Tuesday Feb 22, 2011
1.41pm
The Christchurch police central police station has been evacuated and there are reports of collapses of many buildings, including a church in the central city.
David Alexander told NZPA the quake had ruined his 1906 villa in Opawa, about 4km from the central city.
"It's done a lot of damage, it was really violent and quick. We've got glass everywhere. Our house has just been trashed."
His piano was tilted at a 45 degree angle, and had smashed a hole in a wall, the Christchurch photographer said.
The quake had been like thunder, with a big violent bang.
He was certain the three chimneys the house once had would have come down, had they not been removed after the September quake.
He could hear sirens in the streets as emergency services activated, while in his house wardrobes were over, cupboards open, and porcelain and smashed china was everywhere.
"That was frightening. We've got huge cracks in the roof we didn't have two weeks ago, when the inspectors came (to check damage cause by the September quake).
1.39pm
There are reports of people trapped in a building in Colombo St.
1.38pm
Media statement from Telecom: Telecom is working intensively to understand which services have been affected by today's earthquake and get these restored as soon as possible.
Our thoughts are with the people of Canterbury.
1.35pm
Christchurch International Aiport says it is closed until further notice
1.33pm
Mayor Bob Parker described it as feeling like a brand new quake, saying he was "thrown quite a distance".
"That was, in the city central anyway, as violent as the one that happened on the 4th of September," he told Radio New Zealand.
Mr Parker said there were scenes of "great confusion" on the streets, and the roads were jammed as vehicles sought to get out of the central city.
"I know of injuries in my building and there are unconfirmed reports of serious injuries in the city."
Mr Parker did not know the extent of damage to the city's infrastructure, but advised people not to drink the water supply.
"We've been through this before this once, we now need to think we did at that time."
1.33pm
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."
"We can't move at the moment because the city's gridlocked."
1.30pm
The huge aftershock would have caused more shaking and more damage than the original 7.1 magnitude quake that hit Christchurch on September 3 last year, Geonet has confirmed.
Its data centre manager Kevin Fenaughty said residents said the quake's epicentre was located in the "worst possible location" for the city.
"It's a nightmare. A lot of people were just getting back on their feet after the original quake."
1.28pm
"We now need to think about all the things we learnt at that time (of the September 4 quake)," mayor Bob Parker said on Radio New Zealand.
"Emergency services now have the incredibly difficult task of navigating a city which is evacuating itself.
"We need to start the process of checking hundreds of people.
"I don't have an overview.
"That was as violent as the earthquake we had on the September 4th.
"We had a nasty shock again about 30 to 60 seconds later."
1.27pm
Christchurch major Bob Parker told Radio New Zealand that he's heard unconfirmed reports of some serious injuries.
1.26pm:
Twitter reports:
Kodie Wixon - "Was out playing touch on hagley park, big rumble, ground was just shaking, it felt like i was drunk swaying around!"
1.24pm
The BusinessDesk news agency reported that the kiwi dollar dropped almost half a US cent from US76.32 cents immediately before the quake to US75.79 cents immediately afterwards.
1.23pm:
Sky News reports that Christchurch Hospital has been evacuated.
Newstalk ZB reports people were running out of buildings and that liquefaction has been spotted on the eastern side of the city.
Several buildings that suffered damage from the September 4 earthquake have collapsed, according to reports.
1.20pm:
Civil Defence spokesman Vince Cholewa said the National Crisis Centre has been triggered and was preparing what Government response there would be.
"The quake is significantly smaller than the previous Christchurch earthquake, however it was very shallow and might have been very close to the centre of the city," he said.
Mr Cholewa was not aware of any casualties or the extent of the damage.
"We are still getting a picture of what has happened and we are aware of the details."
1.19pm
Phone links have been cut to the city. Both Vodafone and Telecom said they were investigating. "We're checking the status of network in Christchurch and will update when we can," Vodafone said.
1.15pm:
Twitter reports:
@edmuzik William rolleston has fallen backwards off his plinth, head fallen off
@edmuzik: Observatory in the arts centre has fallen down, may be builders in it
1.10pm
The quake was magnitude 6.3 at a depth of 5km, centred 10km southeast of Christchurch.
1.09pm:
Tweet from Phil Goff in Christchurch:
Big #eqnz in Chch - glasses & plates smashing, we've just been evacuated from Chch airport.
1.05pm:
Witness reports from Facebook:
"In Rangiora and it felt huge - hope Christchurch is OK"
"Felt it in dunedin"
"Felt it in queenstown!"
1:03pm
Witness reports from Facebook:
"bloody awful here nr Sheffield - house rolled up and down and shook violently for a good 10 secons or more - husband in town has no power - i am a shaking wrekc."
"Yes my house is a mess, feel bigger that the big one, way bigger"
"Felt huge. Everything smashed, furniture upturned. Very scary"
"Massive destruction I'm the inner city"
1:02pm
The earthquake was felt as far north as Wellington and as far south as Queenstown.
1:00pm:
Phone lines are down so it's difficult to get information, but Herald reporter Jarrod Booker said in a brief phone call that they were experiencing a massive earthquake, "bigger than the original". He sounded very shaken.
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