7.0 Magnitude Earthquake in New Zealand
A strong earthquake shook up New Zealand on Saturday causing “a lot of damage,” though there are no reports of serious injuries or major damage. The earthquake had a 7.0 magnitude on the Richter Scale, and happened 35 miles away from Christchurch, a city of 386,000 people.
An aftershock occurred 20 minutes later, and had a magnitude of 5.7.
People say it was “like a train running through the house.” Power was out to much of the city of Christchurch because of the extensive damage in that area, according to the report of Radio New Zealand.
Someone said the earthquake turned his house upside down. There are reports of sewer line and water pipe ruptures, not to mention broken glasses and house structural damage reported all over Christchurch.
People in the city report that the quake collapsed the things in the house on the floor, the international airport was evacuated, and panic installed, though according to a NZ journalist who witnessed the event, it is better it happened at night, otherwise people would have been caught in the street and the panic would have escalated.
Reports come from the hotels in Christchurch saying that the structure suffered cracks in the walls, things in the rooms fell on the floor, the buildings move but the damage is not extensive. Some damages were reported at the Christchurch Hospital.
The earthquake happened at 4:35 Saturday, it was 7.5 miles deep, and it is not likely that it would generate a tsunami.
