Good morning.
After a pretty much non existent sleep...
Here I am with the latest up dates on the 6.3 quake that struck Christchuch New Zealand yesterday.
Excuse any errors...
Death toll still confirmed at 65 but will go higher as collapsed buildings and houses are searched..
The New Zealand Herald newspaper reported that 30 million tons of ice broke free from the Tasman Glacier in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park, sending an 11-foot wave crashing into boats on Terminal Lake.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/...
Famous Christchurch tram covered in dust, pictured behind that, the famous Cathedral which is badly damaged.
Police have reported "multiple fatalities" at several locations in the downtown area, including in buses crushed by falling buildings.
Buildings have been destroyed with at least 100 people believed to be trapped inside. Rescuers warned some people remained trapped overnight.
More bodies were likely to be pulled from the rubble of the Canterbury Television building which collapsed in the earthquake, a man involved in assisting rescue teams in their hunt for survivors said tonight.
The Southern Demolition employee, who did not want to be named, told NZPA rescue personnel pulled bodies from the rubble while he was assisting in the recovery effort.
"We were working on one side of the building and on that side we managed to pull one person alive but we also pulled out a body. On the other side they pulled out four or five - I don't know if they were dead or alive. "It was awful," he said.
"It was awful," he said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/...
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker tonight said more than 100 people were trapped in about six sites - but it was possible more were trapped in individual houses.
TV3 has had unconfirmed reports that the death toll could reach between 200 and 300.
The Government is holding a press conference at 5.30am ( New Zealand time) this morning where more details will be revealed.
This is likely to include an updated death toll.
Police have launched a hotline, 0800 779997, that people can call to report missing people.
About 30 people were thought to be trapped in the Pyne Gould Guinness building, its several floors pancaked on each other and tilted at a crazy angle.
In the ruined CTV television building a number of Japanese students, newly arrived in Japan, were believed to be in the rubble.
One injured man rescued from the building was quoted as saying he could hear other people talking.
The famous cathedral in the city's downtown square which stood undamaged last September lost its spire today and suffered heavy damage.
Reports that people were in the spire when it tumbled into the church itself and the square outside could not be verified immediately.
Will update as I get more information
A UK search-and-rescue team has been deployed to New Zealand to join the relief effort after the Christchurch earthquake, David Cameron has said.
The prime minister sent the UK's "deepest sympathies" after the deaths of at least 65 people in the tremor at 1251 on Tuesday (2351 GMT on Monday).
He said the UK "stood ready" to help more at this "dark and difficult time".
The Foreign Office said it was "urgently" seeking information about possible British casualties.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/...
Please check this diary out by Tex Mex on Shelterbox New Zealand
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Here is a link to the people finder that Google has set up for the Christchurch quake
http://christchurch-2011.person-finder.appspot.com/
This from RainyDay:
S sends search teams to NZealand (AFP) – 2 hours ago WASHINGTON — The United States sent a search and rescue team to New Zealand on Tuesday to help with the aftermath of a powerful, deadly earthquake that hit the country's second city, the State Department said.
Spokesman Philip Crowley said in a twitter message that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had phoned her counterpart to "express sorrow" over the disaster, which killed at least 65 people in Christchurch. "#SecClinton phoned #NewZealand FM #McCully to express sorrow over the #earthquake in #Christchurch. A US search and rescue team is enroute," Crowley wrote .
http://www.google.com/...
A horrible story:
A mother died with her baby in her arms in Christchurch's Cashel St Mall in yesterday's earthquake. Passersby went to her assistance, but she was already dead.
The helpers took the child away. It was not known how badly it was hurt when the pair were hit by falling debris.
Helpline to report missing people:
: 0800 733 276
Live nz tv stream
http://tvnz.co.nz/...
Its being reported that some people that are being pulled out of the rubble are having their limbs amputed in order to be rescued.
There has been a mortuary set up at the local military base due to capacity needs.
http://news.sky.com&video_url=http://static1.sky.com//feeds/skynews/latest/flash/220211-Jo-Kane-NZ-Witness-Quake-0700-online.flv&smoothing=true&tracking_account=' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' allowFullScreen='true' allowScriptAccess='always' width='400' height='225'>
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