Christchurch: The aftermath with video

Toronto, Canada local time: Wednesday, February 23, 2011; 1:15pm EST

Christchurch, NZ local time: Thursday, February 24, 2011; 7:15am NZDT

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting as of Feb 23 at 3:49pm that six people have been arrested for looting in Christchurch. The paper says police are setting up a curfew to go into effect at 6:30pm in the devastated central city. According to Superintendent Dave Cliff, only access to those involved in the rescue effort would be permitted. "That’s also about keeping out the criminal element, who we know will try and take advantage," he was quoted as to have said.

Cordons, manned by police and army officers, are in place around the city and entry into those restricted areas is forbidden, with the exception of residents and workers, who must present ID.

Anyone entering without permission will be removed and those found inside the cordoned off areas with no excuse may be arrested, New Zealand police said in a statement.

The Sydney Morning Herald: a photo gallery of Christchurch

The Sydney Morning Herald: a video shot during the quake

The numbers

The New Zealand Herald reports that while some are saying 300 are missing, this number is not confirmed and just speculation at this point. Police are trying to ensure lists of names are accurate before releasing a definitive list of who’s missing. Civil Defence Minister John Carter says there are 71 confirmed dead in morgues. Since the earthquake, 431 people have been treated in emergency departments. 60 percent of the city has power but many areas are without water. Waste water is also problematic and people are being advised to not flush their toilets.

Teams of inspectors are checking the safety of buildings.

The Lyttelton tunnel remains closed to non-emergency traffic but main roads out of the city and the rail link between Picton and Christchurch are now open.

Christchurch was rocked by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at approximately 12:51pm local time, the height of the workday. This was followed in the next two hours by a pair of large aftershocks, one magnitude 5.6 and the other 5.5. The epicentre of the seismic event was five kilometres (three miles) from the city at a depth of four kilometres which supposedly made this more destructive than the quake of September 4. While that quake measured 7.0 in magnitude, its epicentre was further away from Christchurch.

Tragic Story

NDTV has a story of a mother carrying a baby who ran out of a store in a panic when the quake struck. She and the baby were hit by falling debris and the woman was killed. Apparently passers-by went to their aid but it was too late for the mother. It was not clear how badly the baby was injured.

Russia Today – Feb 22/2011

Dramatic aerial video: Strong earthquake hits Christchurch, New Zealand

New Zealand’s Prime Minister has confirmed 65 people have died, following a powerful earthquake in the city of Christchurch. That number’s expected to rise significantly. The magnitude 6-point-3 quake struck just after midday, causing busy office buildings to crash down in the bustling city center. Cries for help could be heard from beneath the rubble, during a desperate scramble for survivors. Rescue crews from across New Zealand and Australia are at the disaster site, where a state of emergency has been declared.

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