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Firefighters at the damaged Pyne Gould building in Christchurch - Source: ONE News -
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Rescue efforts have continued overnight after yesterday's 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Christchruch.
Christchurch City Council says 220 search and rescue personnel will be deployed throughout Christchurch by midday today (Wednesday). It expects 700 of the rescue specialists could be needed in the coming days.
Prime Minister John Key told ONE News last night: "We may well be witnessing New Zealand's darkest day," he said.
"It is just a scene of utter devastation," he said. "We have to work as fast as we can to get people out of environments where they are trapped."
Key flew to Christchurch yesterday afternoon and after a quick tour of the city described it as "utterly wrecked", adding "this is an absolute tragedy for Christchurch".
See aerial pictures .
At 2:30am the council said 90 extra St John's staff will be in Christchurch today and seven rescue helicopters are on stand by to transport injured people.
The official death toll from the Christchurch earthquake has now been confirmed as to 32.
Prime Minister John Key yesterday put the number of dead at 65, but that figure has been almost halved this morning.
Hamilton said that is because only 32 deaths have been confirmed
by police.
Rescue efforts continue
Overnight, rescue teams toiled under floodlights in cold, wet
conditions.
They are working to dig out survivors and the dead from buildings
flattened by the earthquake that ripped the city apart.
It is believed over 100 people are missing. Christchurch Mayor Bob
Parker said last night that about 125 people had been pulled alive
from the rubble.
Police have reported "multiple fatalities" at several locations in
the downtown area, including in two buses crushed by falling
buildings.
Emergency services were focused on high rise buildings in the
central business district, many of which were extensively damaged,
police said.
About 30 people were thought to be trapped in the Pyne Gould
building, its several floors pancaked on each other and tilted at a
crazy angle.
In the ruined CTV television building a number of Japanese students, newly arrived in Japan, were believed to be in the rubble.
One injured man rescued from the building was quoted as saying he could hear other people talking.
The devastated CBD was cordoned off tonight and police warned people to stay away.
Scale of disaster
The death toll is already the second highest from a New
Zealand earthquake - outranked only by the 256 people killed in the
violent 7.9 1931 Hawke's Bay quake, whose 70th anniversary was
marked earlier this month.
The quake followed the massive 7.1 shake on September 4 last year
but its effect were much more severe this time. Buildings that
stood up to last year's event tumbled this time, weakened by the
earlier shaking.
Deputy Prime Minister Bill English, who spoke after cabinet's
second emergency meeting, said the death toll figure of 65 would
almost certainly rise.
"The scale of the disaster is becoming apparent," he said at a
press conference.
"There is a major search and rescue operation under way and our
focus is on searching collapsed buildings."
Although the damage was heavy in the CBD many other parts of the
city suffered too, homes heavily damaged or destroyed, shops and
office buildings destroyed.
State of emergency
Key has taken up the offer of search and rescue personnel
from Australia with two of their Royal Australian Airforce C-130
Hercules aircraft heading for the quake zone. Other offers of help
have been received from the US, the UN, the European Union and
Japan.
Approximately 350 local military personnel have been deployed in
Christchurch, providing first aid, security and search and rescue
services.
Police say over 200 staff, including officers skilled in disaster
victim identification roles are travelling to Christchurch as part
of the emergency response with another 130 expected to travel in
the next few days.
Parker has declared a state of emergency and Civil Defence HQ in
Wellington is on level 3 - its highest level for a domestic
incident.
South Island hospitals are preparing for hundreds of injured
patients.
Water, sewer and gas lines were ruptured by the quake and power
lines and poles crashed, cutting electricity to one third of the
city.
The council says 80% of the city is without water supply and it is
a "serious concern".
Citizens were asked not to flush toilets or take showers and warned
to boil all water for drinking.
Telephone services were cut as anxious callers overloaded circuits
and Vodafone and Telecom are urging customers to use text messaging
instead of calling.
Emergency services are recommending people stay away from work or
school for three days and to keep travel to an absolute
minimum.
"Absolute agony"
Key said: "This is a community that is absolutely in agony. We
just need this community, as it has done before and as it will do
again, to come together, to check and support one another.
"We will get through this. New Zealand will regroup and
Christchurch will regroup."
Parker said: "The PM has already released the the first list of
casualty figures and I'm dreadfully afraid to have to say that that
number is going to rise.
"I've seen probably 20, 25 buildings of significant size with
extraordinary damage, probably total damage to them."
In a briefing at 9.00pm, Parker said the situation was "extremely
grave".
"All of our energy tonight is really focused on the need to rescue
people."
Earlier tonight a ONE News reporter in Hagley Park spoke to people
at the park who say they saw people die. One man said he saw rubble
crush a man in Cathedral Square. Another man said he
pulled a dead man from a destroyed car.
Another TVNZ reporter says a temporary mortuary has been set up in
the city.
Main points
- Widespread destruction
- 65 confirmed dead so far
- 6.3 quake at shallow depth of 5km at 12.51pm
- Aftershocks continue
- Level 3 emergency declared
- International rescue teams deployed
Finance Minister Bill English said he has signed special approval for emergency spending under the Public Finance Act.
"This will enable government agencies to spend extra money as necessary that may not be covered by the existing parliamentary arrangements," he said.
The shock was at a depth of just 5km, centred 10km south-east of
the city.
The quake has been felt as far away as Wellington and
Invercargill.
International response
The Queen has sent a message of support to John Key in which she
said she was "utterly shocked" by the news of the earthquake.
"Please convey my deep sympathy to the families and friends of
those who have been killed; my thoughts are with all those who have
been affected by this dreadful event," she said. "My thoughts are
also with the emergency services and everyone who is assisting in
the rescue efforts."
Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan said the thoughts of
Australians were with the victims of the Christchurch
earthquake.
"We hope that there is good news," he told parliament, referring to
reports of multiple casualties and extensive damage to the city's
buildings.
Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said there were deep
concerns about the loss of life and serious injuries.
"For the people of Christchurch this just isn't fair," he told the
National Press Club in Canberra, ahead of his address on foreign
policy.
"The damage is large, it's the middle of the working day, and the
earthquake has not been deep from the surface."
Rudd referred to Australia's solidarity for its Kiwi friends at "a
horrible time" for the people of Christchurch.
The earthquake is receiving a lot of coverage from international
media..
Are you in Christchurch? Send us your information and pics to news@tvnz.co.nz
Leave your messages on the messageboard below.
Quake appeals have been launched - find out more here.
Follow TVNZ's continuous live updates online and LIVE on-air and streamed coverage will resume at 5:30am.
Add a Comment:
Post new commentroyalcourtier said on 2011-03-14 @ 21:33 NZDT: Report abusive post
The whole focus of this debate is wrong. There is no reason for any of these buildings to be demolished. It is not a case of which should be saved, but which should be demolished. There are few which cannot be saved. What people are missing is that if a building is demolished unnecessarily, and illegally, there won't be any insurance. Only the city can approve demolition - civil defence cannot do so.
Adam Chc said on 2011-03-09 @ 14:44 NZDT: Report abusive post
As a small business based near the epicentre in Christchurch we are strugeling to survive and simply can not afford a day off. I also do not think I or my staff are reasdy for a day of mourning yet. I am surprised the govenment would even consider this, it shows how out of touch they are to the impact this is having on business and staff.
annej said on 2011-03-08 @ 15:09 NZDT: Report abusive post
I must congratulate Bob Parker for his leadership and his caring nature to all people in Christchurch and his unfaultering continual contact with his people, a fine leader and the restoration of Christchurch should go through him and the council and not left to those who do not care about the uniqueness of Christchurch, sack Brownlee, send him back where he come from.
annej said on 2011-03-08 @ 15:04 NZDT: Report abusive post
At a time when the suffering is entering an unacceptable time frame of two weeks, John Key throws the baby out with the bath water and states that the government will buy the land off people who have suffered so much,this is akin to pulling the rug from underneath those who are stressed,do not know their fate and have lost loved ones, more thought and empathy is needed from central govt and to deal with the bulk of the people and not just the business sector.Thoughts and prayers to all.
Huatoki said on 2011-03-08 @ 13:37 NZDT: Report abusive post
As with every issue he's dealt with, Brownlee crashes in with an ill-advised and inflammatory attitude, then scuttles behind his officials and is unavailable for comment. Christchurch needs unifying, reassuring and competent leadership and Brownlee consistently fails on all three counts. We need resources, not divisiveness. If the minister cannot deliver them quickly and efficiently, he needs to go. We deserve better.