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Two dead after quake hits New Zealand

Two people are dead after a massive 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck New Zealand’s South Island, sparking a tsunami warning and leaving some towns cut-off.

Nov 14, 2016, updated Nov 14, 2016
A photo posted on Facebook by the NZ Transport Agency showing a damaged road near Oaro State Highway 1 on the South Island.

A photo posted on Facebook by the NZ Transport Agency showing a damaged road near Oaro State Highway 1 on the South Island.

Prime Minister John Key said two people were confirmed dead after the quake but it was not yet clear if both deaths were as a direct result of the tremor.

Police earlier said a casualty was reported at the heritage-listed Elms Homestead at Kaikoura and another person was believed dead at a house at Mt Lyford, north of Christchurch.

A tsunami warning which had been in place remains in effect but has been downgraded.

The worst-hit areas include the popular holiday destination of Kaikoura, a coastal town on the east coast known for its marine life and whale-watching tours, and towns in North Canterbury, where the quake was centred near the alpine village of Hanmer Springs.

Key said a Defence Force helicopter was heading to Kaikoura after access to the town was cut off by slips and ruptured roads, and he would fly to the town this afternoon to inspect the damage.

Photos posted on social media show the extent of the damage to roads.

https://twitter.com/viralpoet/status/797880825710657537

An Air Force Orion had surveyed main transport routes between Picton, at the top of the South Island, and Christchurch.

Schools and early childhood centres from Wellington to Canterbury will remain closed until they have been assessed.

In the aftermath of the quake, the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management warned a destructive tsunami was possible and urged those in eastern parts of the country in low lying areas or near the coast to move.

The ministry revised down the tsunami risk but said the area from Wellington to Banks Peninsula could still get waves of up to 1m, while people were urged to stay away from beaches and waterways in other parts of the country.

Four homes in Christchurch abandoned by owners after the tsunami warning had been burgled, police said.

A state of local emergency was declared by Hurunui District Mayor Winton Dalley just before midday. Hanmer Springs and Cheviot are within its boundaries.

Where the 6.6mag #eqnz earthquake was felt in New Zealand. pic.twitter.com/EtX4YN8KR4

— Sonia Cuff (@SoniaCuff) November 13, 2016

The initial quake was registered as a 6.6 shake before being upgraded by GeoNet seismologists.

A host of aftershocks above magnitude 5 were recorded, with the biggest a 6.2 tremor.

A seven-person Fire Service urban search and rescue team was flown by helicopter to Kaikoura and two further assessment teams have been deployed, one to Waiau and one to Blenheim.

Some areas remained without power after the quake and phone services, both mobile and fixed line, were affected in the Kaikoura area.

The national crisis management centre had been activated but a national state of emergency had not been declared.

People in Cheviot, near the epicentre of the first quake, reported extensive damage.

“Family friends in Cheviot say some houses are gone,” a woman named Brodie tweeted.

In Wellington, at the bottom of the North Island, some buildings were damaged and windows were smashed.

Cracks have appeared in roads around Centre Port, Wellington, after a 7.5 earthquake based in the South island shock the capital. Photo: AAP

Cracks have appeared in roads around Centre Port, Wellington, after a 7.5 earthquake based in the South island shock the capital. Photo: AAP

Wellington Region emergency controller Bruce Pepperell said a number of major buildings were showing signs of “structural stress” and inner-city workers were told to stay at home.

Inspections were being carried out on bridges and tunnels around the region he said many buildings would need to be checked for damage.

KiwiRail said it had suspended trains on the main trunk line south of Palmerston North in the North Island and north of Christchurch in the South Island. A train was stranded north of Kaikoura after the quake.

Cook Strait ferry sailings have been cancelled and about 20 passengers aboard the Kaiarahi spent about 12 hours longer than planned on the vessel after it was unable to dock at Picton.

State Highways in the South Island have also been closed – SH1 Picton to Waipara and SH7 Waipara to Springs Junction – and many other local roads had also been damaged.

The quake comes almost six years after a destructive 6.3 earthquake that killed 185 people in Canterbury early in 2011.

Christchurch’s tourism promoters today urged visitors not to cancel their holiday plans for the city, saying it was open for business and there appeared to be minimal damage to the CBD from the latest quake.

“Christchurch is now one of the safest cities in the world, following our infrastructure rebuild and strengthening upgrades,” Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism chief executive Vic Allen said.

“We are encouraging people to keep their plans to come to Christchurch.”

However, north of Christchurch, the popular visitor centres of Hanmer Springs and Kaikoura are currently inaccessible by road and rail.

https://twitter.com/nkpnz/status/797778800368959488

-AAP

Topics: new zealand
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