Last updated at 6:40 AM on 13th June 2011
- At least six people rushed to hospital with injuries
Panic-stricken people ran into the streets and emergency services were stretched to the limit after two powerful earthquakes and a series of aftershocks hit the already-damaged New Zealand city of Christchurch today.
Rescue services were trying to establish reports that a number of people were trapped in a collapsed building, but at least six others were rushed to hospital with injuries following the two earthquakes, measuring magnitude 6 and 6.5, hit the city, already ravaged by a quake earlier in the year.
As dust swarmed up over the city again, Mayor Bob Parker said: 'It's very, very scary - we still haven't got a full picture of what has happened yet but we are all praying we aren't going to have more fatalities like we did in the earlier earthquake this year.'
A policeman gestures before a collapsed building following two powerful earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand, today
A rockface in Christchurch shows visible damage after today's two quakes. There were reports of rocks as large as car wheels rolling down a hill in one part of the city
Ambulance sirens rang out through the city streets as rescue crews searched for people who might have been injured.
First reports said buildings had been damaged, power had been cut off and roads split open.
A building on the corner of Stanmore and Worcester streets collapsed and while there were initial reports that people were trapped inside, this was found to be not the case.
But new reports said other buildings had come down and that there might be people trapped inside those.
Christchurch was still trying to recover from the devastating February 22 earthquake which claimed 182 lives. There had been an earlier damaging earthquake of 7.1 magnitude five months earlier.
At Canterbury University items were thrown from shelves and floors were littered with broken glass.
From other parts of the city came reports of fires breaking out and liquefaction - with the ground bubbling with under-surface sand.
Rocks as large as car wheels came rolling down a hill, narrowly missing vehicles below.
A street is overcome with floodwater following the tremors earlier today. In parts of the city came reports of fires breaking out and liquefaction - with the ground bubbling with under-surface sand
Quake-damaged buildings in Christchurch following the two earthquakes, measuring magnitude 6 and 6.5
Mr Aaron Gilmore, an MP living in the east of the city, described how the quake hit as he was getting out of his car.
'I could see the ground rise on the road - it was a bit freaky.
'The wall of my office is cracked and I'm trying to find out what damage has been caused in other parts of the area.'
Resident Nathanael Boehm sent out a Twitter message saying that he was 'up and ready to leap out a window' if his two-storey house, which 'swayed heaps' started to come down.
'That would have been bloody close to a 6 magnitude quake. Heart going mental. Hope everyone OK!'
Other Twitter users told of smashed items in their houses and car alarms ringing out after they had been set off by the two shocks.
As people ran into the streets, fearing buildings would collapse, Christchurch City Council urged them to stay calm and to check on the safety of their family and neighbours.
'For those at home, if you are concerned that your house may be damaged, please move to a safer location. Please limit your travel to ease congestion and make it easier for emergency services to move about the city.'
A law student at Canterbury University told how books flew off the shelves.
'It started off not too badly, but then the shelves started rattling,' said Jennifer Jones. 'There are 11 floors above the library, so we had to get everyone out pretty quickly.'
Mayor Bob Parker said: 'I must admit I was very concerned. 'Our building was rattling and shaking. Trees in the streets were waving at crazy angles.'
Rescue workers search for victims buried under the rubble near the Canterbury Television building in Christchurch following February's devastating earthquake
An aftershock which hit the city was described by city council staff as 'very, very significant' , confirming that a number of buildings had collapsed in the red zone, established after the February earthquake.
Emergency teams from the civil defence headquarters said the Hotel Grand Chancellor, feared on the point of collapse after the February quake, had tipped further over.
The Art Centre's historic clock tower had lost its clockface, narrowly missing the Art Centre's director Ken Franklin.
'I saw stuff coming down off the front of the clock tower, he said.
'It was a very uncomfortable place to be because I was trapped between the clock tower and the fence.'
More masonry has also fallen from the Christchurch Cathedral.
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