Huge earthquake has hit New Zealand!?

I live in London and heard the news at about two in the morning.

It absolutely terrified me as I have a very close family member

there with his fiancé...they are on a world tour and are staying

in Christchurch.

It took hours before we were able to get confirmation that they

were OK and eventually managed to speak with them.

The fear in their voices will stay with me for a long time.

They were all in the house when suddenly it started shaking...

bookcases came off the wall, smaller objects like the microwave etc...

were just flying across the room. The driveway has split in half but they

were all able to get out safely. There are no utilities...everything is down.

The whole neighbourhood had at that point gathered in the local park...

it was the safest place to be.

Getting this first hand report makes you realise all the more the magnitude

of the devastation...It's just awful and my prayers are with all those that have

lost loved ones...x

BELOW IS THE FIRST E-MAIL I RECEIVED FROM MY FAMILY MEMBER

WHO WAS CAUGHT UP IN THE EARTHQUAKE.

"Hey there

Thank you so much for your emails and phone calls.

I dont think there is any point in pretending - this has been f*cking horrible. Being stuck in a house and hearing and feeling it shake whilst wondering whether it is all going to give way is a terryifying experience. I dont think i could ever truly describe in words what it felt like.

Your emails and calls have been a great help. Thank you. M***'s folks were completely emotionless and i found that very difficult to deal with. I am now extremely drunk which has helped things!

We are at M***'s uncle and auntie (C***** and D******) now. In Dunedin away from all the aftershocks. They have been really supportive and welcoming. They are truly lovely people. Plus they keep a well stoked wine cellar! My kind of people!!

Cant call as dont have skype here but will try and sort something out tomorrow.

Will; call as soon as i can but do not worry - out of harms way and feeling a lot better"

Update from New Zealand...

Hey there,

Had hoped to call you about now but we've not got wifi here. Will get up early tomorrow and call you in the evening your time. Probably after 10pm sometime.

The floods were difficult but the difference between dealing with the aftermath of a disaster and actually being one is massive. It really is difficult to describe. Its just a feeling of absolute terror. After the first quake my heart was thumping so hard i thought i might have a heart attack. Seeing the tv footage today of the quake, the people who had lost family members and those hoping to see the missing again was so so sad.

Its nothing other than sheer luck which prevented me and M*** from being hurt.

I'm generally very complimentary about M***'s folks. I think they have a lot of positive attributes. However, they have zero emotinal intelligence. After the quake they were more concerned with finding the washer for their sh1tty old 1980s bulsh1t microwave than putting an arm round their daughter and asking her if she was alright. We basically stayed the extra night in Christchurch because they were worried about their property/possessions instead of getting the f9ck out of their. I am annoyed with them but also with myself for not being more forceful in getting me and M*** away. You have no idea what it was like lying there for 10hrs wondering whether or not the house was going to come down. I must have slept for about 1hr if that. Every 5 minutes we were up, shoes on and preparing to run into the park to safety.

If that wasnt bad enough on the way down to Dunedin they stopped off for some sightseeing. FOR F*CKING SIGHTSEEING?!?! Can you imagine? I couldnt face it.

I bought half a dozen beers and just got p1ssed by the car until they returned from their trip.

M*** has been brilliant though and M***'s uncle and aunt (C***** and D******) are pretty much two of the nicest people Ive ever met. They know exactly what to say and do and understand how f*cking horrible it all is. Genuine thankful that we're here with them now.

Plans will stay the same ,two weeks in NZ and then South America...

The New Zealand city of Christchurch has been hit by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake, the second major shake since a 7.1 quake shook the South Island city last September. EPA/BGNES

A earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale has hit New Zealand's southern island city of Christchurch killing scores of people and causing severe damage.

According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake hit at 12:51 pm local time followed 10 minutes later by an aftershock registering 5.6. A couple of hours later four more aftershocks have shaken the city, ranging in magnitude from 3.4 to 5.5, the New Zealand Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences reports.

According to Radio New Zealand, two city buses were crushed by falling debris and that "multiple" buildings have collapsed, leaving people trapped. The number of the fatalities resulting from the earthquake is still unknown.

The earthquake that struck Christchurch on Tuesday was weaker than the powerful magnitude-7.1 earthquake Sept. 4 and relatively shallow, 3.1 miles deep. It struck just offshore from the city on the east coast of the South Island.

I'm from New Zealand, but not CHCH, it's pretty a pretty sad day. It was a 6.3, but it was very shallow and the epicenter was so close to Christchurch that the damage was severe. So far there's been 65 confirmed deaths, but there's projected to be a lot more, probably in the 200-400 mark.

It happened at 12.51pm but there have been after shocks ranging from 3-5 on the Richter scale.

...

There was a huge earthquake yes. But tectonic plate. Australia and New Zealand are on the same plate, so they wont collide. The east coast of New Zealand is a subduction zone where the Pacific plate is subducting beneath the indo-australian plate (With New zealand on). This subduction is what created the many volcanoes on New Zealand, as the subducted plate melts, and melts the overlying mantle wedge also, this assimilates to create magma which wells up beneath New Zealand and erupts through volcanoes. In hundreds of millions of years, the pacific Ocean will close and New Zealand will collide with South America, that is because the Pacific plate is subducting on both side and the Pacific Ocean is getting smaller. That is if the subduction continues and the ocean basin closure does not stop.

It caught my attention immediately as I have family over there, the quake was 6.3 magnitude and has caused devastation throughout Christchurch. I have just heard it reported that at least 200 are missing possible trapped and the death toll is 65, a terrible day for a beautiful country and people.

I am a Kiwi (from Christchurch) currently living in Indonesia. I am so concerned for the safety of my family and friends in Christchurch. I am unable to get in touch with many of them. I was present for the September earthquake and that in itself was terrifying. I would do anything to be home to offer my help and support for my people. My heart and prayers go out to you all. Stay strong and we can pull through this together.

23:51 GMT

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews...

It's sad when a disaster strikes anywhere, and I pray for their health as anywhere else. New Zealand have had a number of Earthquakes this year and stronger ones but this one was more shallow and because it was more shallow the buildings collapsed.

Yes it look pretty bad.

We have family friends who live in Sumner, very close to Lyttleton where the epicentre of the quake is and can't raise any of them. The power lines are down all over so all we can do is pray and wait and hope.

Giginotgigi - how could you post that? That's SICK! Those poor people, who are YOU to sit in judgement on any of them?

You can keep up to date with this news point

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/live-updates-chris...

Edit: We heard from them this evening - no power, no water, no house, one car stuck in the liquification on the road. Children traumatised but - they're all alive. Mobile phone use very limited too as they don't or can't use their chargers.

I don't live in Christchurch but I live in NZ and I have seen the pictures on the news. It breaks my heart that the death toll is 65 and expected to rise.