Christchurch, hit by a 7.1 earthquake late last year, was ravaged was by another major earthquake today, killing an as yet unknown number of people and leaving many others injured.
Civil Defence Minister John Carter announced this afternoon that hospitals were facing the possibility that hundreds of people could have been injured.
The earthquake, measured at 6.3 on the Richter scale, shook the city at 12.51pm while streets were crowed with shoppers and office workers.
Police said there were reports of ``multiple fatalities'' at several locations in the downtown area, including two buses crushed by falling buildings.
The severe shaking collapsed buildings, knocked out power and telephone services and blocked roads, hampering rescue efforts.
People were trapped, awaiting rescue.
The Pyne Gould Guinness building collapsed, with at least 30 people reported trapped inside.
Hospitals in several South Island towns were discharging patients to make room for the injured from Christchurch.
The spire of the city's iconic cathedral in the central square was sliced off, its rubble falling to the ground, the rest of the building badly damaged.
Helicopters with monsoon buckets were reported fighting a fire engulfing a major building in the centre.
Christchurch mayor Bob Parker was quoted as saying the damage was much more severe than in the great 7.1 quake almost six months ago.
``The city centre is like a war zone'', Mr Parker said. Damage was immense and peopled were trapped in ruined buildings.
``Everybody needs to understand that this is going to be a day of very black news,'' the mayor said.
He declared a state of emergency and declared Canterbury would need help from the rest of the country.
Today's shake was not as powerful at the one that struck in early morning hours of 4 September last year but was much shallower, leading to greater damage.
Scientists put the epicentre at 10km southeast of the city - apparently in the middle of the harbour at Lyttelton, the city's coastal port - at a depth of only 5km.
Radio and television reported damage in the town of Lyttelton was severe.
Christchurch has suffered a long series of after shocks following last year's quake and they continued after the big one today.
One tremor of 5.7 occurred five minutes after the main shock and there was another of 5.5 at 2.50pm.
Scientists said their first investigations indicated today's earthquakes originated from a fault line different to the one that generated September's quake.
One man who lives in suburban South Brighton said he wasn't scared by last year's quake because like most of the city he was asleep.
Today was different. ``It was frightening.'' He added: ``There was a stillness in the air before it came. Then it was really noisy,'' he said.
Linda Stuart, who lives in the same area was driving home when the earthquake struck.``The car just bounced on the road and things were collapsing around us.
``The house is in one piece but everything is broken. I am stunned. I just don't know what to do. I don't know if I should cry or what,'' she said.
Prime Minister John Key was flying to Christchurch late this afternoon and the government opened the National Crisis Management Centre in the basement of Parliament Buildings in Wellington.
Defence Force troops have been detailed to help in the city.
Mr Key said his thoughts and prayers were with the families of any people killed in the massive quake.
``My heart and thoughts and prayers would go to those families. I think we all knew that we were very lucky and blessed when the first earthquake took place that it didn't claim any lives. If it's the case that people have lost their lives in this earthquake then I think all New Zealanders would mourn with a heavy heart.''
The central city is being evacuated as police receive reports of widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure.
The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management (MCDEM) is setting up all available urban search and rescue teams -- with an Australian team on call.
Temporary accommodation has been organised for those displaced, and are looking at erecting tents in Hagley Park.
The ministry is working with the Ministry of Social Development and the Police to re-establish contact with Christchurch civil defence.
Most of Christchurch Hospital is in operation, but the airport is closed and other airports have been affected.
The airport is closed until further notice after a severe aftershock at 2.55pm.
Flights around in New Zealand have been disrupted.
Auckland Airport spokesman Richard Llewellyn said the airways system around the country was closed shortly after the earthquake.
``For the moment planes are landing but no planes are departing,'' he told NZPA.
``The national air traffic control centre is in Christchurch, and they are checking to make sure it is all okay, and until then the airways system has been closed.''
Mr Key said damage in the city was substantial, buildings recently repaired had collapsed and there was widespread damage.
There were reports of damaged roads and sewage systems, more liquefaction that causes serious damage.
``Not only is it a significant earthquake that's shallow in nature but it's taken place at a very busy time and off the back of what has not only been one earthquake but the 4000 aftershocks that Canterbury has experienced in the last six months,'' Mr Key said.
``It's struck at a very vulnerable time for the region.''
He has spoken to his sister who lives there. She was very shaken and had not been able to contact her husband.
``She said it was worse than the first earthquake... she said there was absolute carnage, there was water everywhere, sewage flowing down the street and the roads were in grid-lock.''
Triage centres have been established for people with injuries at Latimer Square in Central City, Spotlight Mall in Sydenham and Sanitarium in Papanui
Civil Defence Minister John Carter said cellphone and landlines were down and Civil Defence was using HP and satellite phones to try to communicate.
Telecom said some of its phone networks had been badly damaged in the quake.
It said its staff were working intensively to understand which services have been affected and get them restored as soon as possible.
Mr Parker said he was ``deeply, deeply concerned about lives''.
The Christchurch Police Station was initially evacuated but is operational again.
The quake was widely felt throughout the South Island and there were some reports of lights swaying as far north as Auckland.
A massive 7.1 tremor hit Canterbury on September 4 last year, causing extensive damage and a handful of injuries, but no deaths.
Thousands of aftershocks have since rattled the region.
The September quake caused billions of dollars of damage, with more than 168,000 claims to the Earthquake Commission.
Christchurch Earthquake: Widespread destruction after huge quake
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.