MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE IN CHRISTCHURCH, NZ

Aerlik · February 22, 2011, 03:16:35 AM

A 6.3mag earthquake has struck NZ. I'm watching the images live here in Oz. Police have said there are "multiple fatalities". Many city centre buildings have collapsed or are severly damaged. The YHA hostel has been "severely damaged". Just been reported that bodies have been removed from that building. Phone lines are down. My friend can't get through to her family.

lfdown2 · February 22, 2011, 03:23:33 AM

was watching it there myself, devastating stuff. To see some of the building would worry you as to the scale of fatalities!

Aerlik · February 22, 2011, 03:55:41 AM

Just seen footage of a verandah collapsing and people running away as it happened. Amazing stuff.

Aerlik · February 22, 2011, 06:56:29 AM

65 confirmed deaths.

I hope none of you have friends or family travelling through NZ and affected by this.

The Subbie · February 22, 2011, 08:23:13 AM

Not looking good, was watching 7 news there & the footage of the collapsed buildings is scary, I know 1 Irish girl & her bf that are working there & am currently trying to find out if they are ok, please God they are.

mylestheslasher · February 22, 2011, 01:16:43 PM

I hope your friends are alright lads. Terrible scenes on the TV.

Tony Baloney · February 22, 2011, 01:55:03 PM

Always strange seeing these happen in "Western" cities as we tend to associate natural disasters with third world countries. 6.3 is a brave rattle in a built up area. God forbid LA or Tokyo get the "big one"!

The Subbie · February 22, 2011, 08:22:18 PM

Quote from: The Subbie on February 22, 2011, 08:23:13 AM
Not looking good, was watching 7 news there & the footage of the collapsed buildings is scary, I know 1 Irish girl & her bf that are working there & am currently trying to find out if they are ok, please God they are.

Both are all right thank God, found out late last night

Denn Forever · February 22, 2011, 10:55:03 PM

Quote from: The Subbie on February 22, 2011, 08:22:18 PM
Quote from: The Subbie on February 22, 2011, 08:23:13 AM
Not looking good, was watching 7 news there & the footage of the collapsed buildings is scary, I know 1 Irish girl & her bf that are working there & am currently trying to find out if they are ok, please God they are.
Both are all right thank God, found out late last night

Good news.

under the bar · February 22, 2011, 10:58:43 PM

the news said that NZ gets around 14,000 earthquakes each year

14,000?? minor or not thats about 40 a day!

lfdown2 · February 22, 2011, 11:17:17 PM

Official death toll 75, with 300 still reported missing!

Tony Baloney · February 22, 2011, 11:25:20 PM

Quote from: under the bar on February 22, 2011, 10:58:43 PM
the news said that NZ gets around 14,000 earthquakes each year

14,000?? minor or not thats about 40 a day!

The vast majority of quakes are microquakes below 3 on the richter scale and would only be registered by boffins on the end of a seismograph. Plate boundaries are always on the move so these microquakes are always occurring. The trouble starts when a big one hits a densely populated area. The one in Haiti was "only" a 7.0 and we all saw what happened there. A 9+ in a city will be apocalyptic.

mayogodhelpus@gmail.com · February 23, 2011, 12:46:43 AM

An English lad I know, his family are caught in it, no word as yet.

Aerlik · February 23, 2011, 05:18:38 AM

Got word last night that my friend's family are safe but very upset, understandably. Japan does not use the Richter Scale, but it's own scale which is scaled down. I was in a 6mag (Japan scale) about a 7.2mag Richter Scale one Sunday in Nagoya in 1999. It only lasted a few seconds but enough to literally split my mate's house right open and bring down electric poles.

The Subbie · February 23, 2011, 06:28:10 AM

I was in a 4.1 in Costa Rica in 2005 only lasted 30 seconds or so but did a nice wee bit of damage, I filled the togs at the time but it didn't take a flinch out of the locals, they were telling me after that it was a regular occurrence, seeing the blacktop on the roads rippling like it was water is a sight I'll never forget