Aftershocks rattle Christchurch
N. ZEALAND: Violent aftershocks rattled Christchurch Tuesday as parts
of the city re-opened for the first time since New Zealand’s biggest
quake in nearly 80 years. The official geological monitoring service
GeoNet reported more than a dozen aftershocks overnight, two measuring
magnitude 5.4, prompting authorities to evacuate 70 people sheltering in
temporary accommodation in a high school.
Christchurch mayor Bob Parker said the aftershocks were further
damaging weakened buildings in the South Island city of 340,000 people
and playing on residents’ frayed nerves.
Parker told national radio that he checked his bags were packed when
the latest seismic jolts hit because he had an “ominous feeling” they
were going to get worse.
The civil defence ministry warned that aftershocks measuring up to
magnitude 6.0 would remain a danger over the next week.
GeoNet also reported a separate 5.2 magnitude earthquake near Hawke’s
Bay on the North Island but said there was no damage or injuries. The
area was the scene of New Zealand’s most destructive quake in 1931,
which killed 256 people.
In a sign that life was slowly returning to normal in Christchurch, a
no-go zone in the central business district was significantly reduced,
allowing residents back into areas previously deemed off-limits.
Police and the army had sealed off the entire city centre after
Saturday’s 7.0 magnitude quake toppled building facades and littered the
streets with debris and broken glass.
Police warned people still needed to be aware of the danger from
falling masonry and other debris in the newly opened area.
Christchurch, Tuesday, AFP
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