00:20New Zealand: 'Severe' earthquake rocks Christchurch
An earthquake rocked Christchurch, Sunday, as shown by CCTV footage in which a car can be seen shaking in a driveway in the city. It hit shortly after 13.10 local time (00.10 GMT).
New Zealand's earthquake monitor GeoNet Science said the tremor was "severe," measuring the quake at magnitude 5.7, while the US Geological Society reported it as measuring slightly higher on the scale at 5.8. The quake's epicentre was around 15km (9.3mi) outside of Christchurch and was approximately 31km (19.3mi) deep.
Some reports indicate a number of injuries although Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee announced that none were of a severe nature. Police said that up to 450 homes are without power as a result of the earthquake while cliffs in the Port Hills mountain range area are also said to have been damaged. State land engineers have been dispatched to assess the situation.
The latest earthquake comes just over a week before the five year anniversary of the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake in which 185 people died.
Video courtesy of Twitter user @TheRicher
00:20An earthquake rocked Christchurch, Sunday, as shown by CCTV footage in which a car can be seen shaking in a driveway in the city. It hit shortly after 13.10 local time (00.10 GMT).
New Zealand's earthquake monitor GeoNet Science said the tremor was "severe," measuring the quake at magnitude 5.7, while the US Geological Society reported it as measuring slightly higher on the scale at 5.8. The quake's epicentre was around 15km (9.3mi) outside of Christchurch and was approximately 31km (19.3mi) deep.
Some reports indicate a number of injuries although Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee announced that none were of a severe nature. Police said that up to 450 homes are without power as a result of the earthquake while cliffs in the Port Hills mountain range area are also said to have been damaged. State land engineers have been dispatched to assess the situation.
The latest earthquake comes just over a week before the five year anniversary of the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake in which 185 people died.
Video courtesy of Twitter user @TheRicher