"This is just a scene of destruction," said New Zealand Prime Minister John Kery after monitor earthquake area several hours after the incident. He said the death toll from the quake amounted to 65 people and is likely to increase. "This possibility is a dark day for New Zealand," he said.
The quake shook the second largest city in the afternoon of a busy work and closer to downtown than the major earthquakes that damage Christchurch in September last year, but did not cause death when struck before dawn at weekends.
Police said in various reports that about 350 thousand buildings damaged by the quake. The quake also destroyed the top of the stone in the church seek Christchurch Cathedral, the ruins were scattered through the field in the center of town. Police also reported two buses hit a collapsed building.
Footage showed several collapsed buildings and overwrite the local population with a wall that has collapsed in the street, filled with broken bricks and concrete. The sidewalks and roads cracked and broken, and some residents of the survivors stunned, crying and screaming, while other residents roaming the streets and the sirens sounded.
Several others helped the victims who wallow blood by grasping the wound, and other private vehicles that run on the emergency stretcher old carpet or bits of debris.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker announced a state of emergency and asked residents to flee to the city center. Troops were deployed to assist local residents to get out of the disaster area, said Deputy Prime Minister Bill Home. "It will not make mistake about it - this will be a very dark day for the city," said Parker when asked about the possibility of local residents who died.
Local Airport was also closed and Christchurch Hospital with the courage to do various penyelamaatan before it is considered safe and the patients can be discharged. Disconnected telephone network, a pipeline exploded and flooded the streets, few cars parked on the street were buried under rubble.
Some people are trapped inside an office building and firefighters climbed an extension ladder to rescue people trapped. A crane lifted the rescue workers who were on the roof of the building. Clumps of gray smoke billowing into the air at several points around the city, which is visible from the ruins of former buildings.
