The United States military in Hawaii offered their assistance after the 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Canterbury but were turned down because local authorities have the situation under control, Civil Defence director John Hamilton said today.
Central Christchurch streets are piled with rubble and cordoned off after the quake, which hit at 4.35am on Saturday.
Hamilton spoke to media following a top-level briefing at the emergency bunker in parliament and said officials were impressed with the response from the people of Canterbury.
Most government agencies, including police, were sending in extra staff to relieve those on duty and the army remained on standby to help if needed.
Offers of help had also been made by the United States military in Hawaii and by others through various United Nations programmes, Hamilton said.
"I suppose they're probably surprised that we turned down their offers of assistance because in most cases an earthquake of the magnitude that we've experienced would inevitably result in high casualty numbers and the need for humanitarian assistance.
"We're very grateful that the offers were made and fortunately we were able to say 'not required'."
Senior government ministers would meet today to discuss further taxpayer-funded assistance for the people of Canterbury, including how much to help those without insurance.
Prime Minister John Key has pledged government support to the people of Canterbury, where damage has been estimated at $2 billion by the Earthquake Commission.
Key, who visited Christchurch on Saturday, said it looked like a scene out of a movie.
"The roads were just ripped apart. I saw a church completely broken in half," he told TV One's Q and A.
The local authorities and civil defence had done a good job, Key said.
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Add a Comment:
Post new commentgordy said on 2010-09-09 @ 13:59 NZDT: Report abusive post
Im my 51 years on this earth I have never felt so pertrified..my first thoughts was we had been hit by a nuclear bomb and it was Armageddon. Never ever want to experience it again
schicken said on 2010-09-08 @ 19:15 NZDT: Report abusive post
I thought the same thing initially. However, another quake big enough to close or shift the cracks further is likely to be heard first and all the kids will most likely be fine. If a child does get swallowed up, I'm probably not going to have huge empathy for the media coverage or their parents, but until then, let the region have a little bit of fun. Education about health risks regarding contaminated water may be a good idea for all. :)
thinkaboutit said on 2010-09-06 @ 23:06 NZDT: Report abusive post
More great coverage tonight TVNZ especially highlighting the situation at individual community levels where people reported they felt abandoned. All credit to those organising themselves into community working groups at this level despite this. Arguably the recovery process would be greatly enhanced if these community groups were psychologically and practically supported by establishing official coordination centres at individual community levels.
Madeleine Ware said on 2010-09-06 @ 17:31 NZDT: Report abusive post
You're making some good points here. Perhaps some of the donations could be towards purchasing and setting up storage of these sorts of things. Individuals are also responsible for making their own preparations. I clean and keep old 3L juice bottles filled with water. Every now and then I water my house plants with one and refill it to refresh it.
Madeleine Ware said on 2010-09-06 @ 17:25 NZDT: Report abusive post
Why are they buying water? Aren't there several tankers about the city giving it away?