Christchurch, New Zealand—(ENEWSPF)—February 22, 2011. A magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit Christchurch Tuesday killing at least 65 people. More than 100 people are thought to be trapped in the rubble.
The quake toppled the spire of the city’s historic stone cathedral, flattened tall buildings and even shook off a massive piece of ice from New Zealand’s biggest glacier approximately 120 miles to the east.
“It is just a scene of utter devastation,” Prime Minister John Key said. “We may well be witnessing New Zealand’s darkest day.”
The quake has knocked out phone lines, including the city’s emergency 111 service. About 80 percent of the city has lost power.
A search and rescue team was being flown in from Australia to help in the on-going recovery efforts.
Source: usgs.gov and tvnz
