New Zealand: Strong 5.1 earthquake shakes Christchurch
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Pastor Dale Morgan
Jul 21, 2011, 10:36:17 PM7/21/11
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Earthquakes In Diverse Places
New Zealand: Strong 5.1 earthquake shakes Christchurch
Last updated 10:36 22/07/2011
Christchurch's central city red zone has re-opened following a 5.1-magnitude earthquake this morning.
The quake struck at 5.39am, 40km west of Christchurch near Dunsandel at a depth of 12km.
The tremor had triggered the closure of the red zone to contractors and others who normally had access so engineers could carry out inspections on buildings.
A Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) spokeswoman said eight indicator buildings were checked for further damage.
The indicator buildings, of differing construction types, were located throughout the city centre. Any faults in the buildings were monitored for changes after each significant tremor.
"We often find with these [that] there'll be a bit more rubble come down, a bit more debris."
The red zone was reopened just after 9.30am, after engineers gave the all-clear, the spokeswoman said.
Christchurch City Council said no damage was reported following the aftershock, and all council facilities that were open before the quake remained open.
Police and the Fire Service also said there had been no reports of damage, and no reports of injuries.
Lines company Orion said the network held up well, with no power outages following the quake.
Geonet seismologist Caroline Holden said 250 people in Christchurch had already reported that they felt the quake.
The shock was centred on the Greendale fault, which was the same fault line of the September 4 magnitude 7.1 quake and the multitude of aftershocks that have followed.
Holden said that at a depth of only 12km it was quite a shallow quake.
She said there were reports of the tremor being felt south of Dunedin, to as far north as Nelson.
'ROLLING QUAKE'
Dunsandel Store office manager Diane Ashby said the aftershock was a "bit scary", but no major damage had been reported in the area.
A few things had fallen off shelves, but nothing had broken.
The store is open as normal and a few local visitors told staff some things had fallen over in their homes, she said.
"Just when we thought we were getting over them, [but] we're all good and that's the main thing."
People have described the quake as a "long rolling motion", rather than a sharp jolt.
Many said it lasted between 10 and 15 seconds and woke them up from their sleep.
Bernadine Smith said the quake threw her around while she was in bed.
"Felt like I was stuck in a bouncy castle with drunk mates," she said.
Gary Miller said he felt the quake "quite strongly" in Opawa.
"Light fittings swaying, unstable underfoot, cupboard doors opened, but nothing fell out, thankfully."
New Zealand: Strong 5.1 earthquake shakes Christchurch
Last updated 10:36 22/07/2011
Christchurch's central city red zone has re-opened following a 5.1-magnitude earthquake this morning.
The quake struck at 5.39am, 40km west of Christchurch near Dunsandel at a depth of 12km.
The tremor had triggered the closure of the red zone to contractors and others who normally had access so engineers could carry out inspections on buildings.
A Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) spokeswoman said eight indicator buildings were checked for further damage.
The indicator buildings, of differing construction types, were located throughout the city centre. Any faults in the buildings were monitored for changes after each significant tremor.
"We often find with these [that] there'll be a bit more rubble come down, a bit more debris."
The red zone was reopened just after 9.30am, after engineers gave the all-clear, the spokeswoman said.
Christchurch City Council said no damage was reported following the aftershock, and all council facilities that were open before the quake remained open.
Police and the Fire Service also said there had been no reports of damage, and no reports of injuries.
Lines company Orion said the network held up well, with no power outages following the quake.
Geonet seismologist Caroline Holden said 250 people in Christchurch had already reported that they felt the quake.
The shock was centred on the Greendale fault, which was the same fault line of the September 4 magnitude 7.1 quake and the multitude of aftershocks that have followed.
Holden said that at a depth of only 12km it was quite a shallow quake.
She said there were reports of the tremor being felt south of Dunedin, to as far north as Nelson.
'ROLLING QUAKE'
Dunsandel Store office manager Diane Ashby said the aftershock was a "bit scary", but no major damage had been reported in the area.
A few things had fallen off shelves, but nothing had broken.
The store is open as normal and a few local visitors told staff some things had fallen over in their homes, she said.
"Just when we thought we were getting over them, [but] we're all good and that's the main thing."
People have described the quake as a "long rolling motion", rather than a sharp jolt.
Many said it lasted between 10 and 15 seconds and woke them up from their sleep.
Bernadine Smith said the quake threw her around while she was in bed.
"Felt like I was stuck in a bouncy castle with drunk mates," she said.
Gary Miller said he felt the quake "quite strongly" in Opawa.
"Light fittings swaying, unstable underfoot, cupboard doors opened, but nothing fell out, thankfully."
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