Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says last night's large 5.1 magnitude aftershock, which caused damage to a number of buildings, was a psychological blow to a city which had already had a ``guts full'' of quakes.
The shake hit at 9.47pm, 10km east of the city and was 10km deep, making it one of the strongest since the horrific 6.3 earthquake on February 22 which killed an estimated 182 people.
Mr Parker said this morning there had been some damage to buildings, but no reports of injury.
``We've had a number reports of minor damage, one significant report to a small suburban dairy,'' Mr Parker told Radio New Zealand this morning.
There had also been a lot of falling masonry from already fragile buildings in the central business district (CBD).
The quake caused more psychological damage than physical damage, he said.
``It really seemed to run that sort of jelly wobble sensation...out in the east where it was more focused the reports where of a violent deeply upsetting quake.
``Our thoughts are with the folk, who have just, to put it bluntly, had a guts full of nights of trauma.''
A Civil Defence spokeswoman last night said a cordon was being established around the dairy and a further assessment of its condition would be made in the morning.
A quick inspection of buildings in the inner city had shown some loose masonry has fallen, but a full assessment would also be made in daylight, the spokeswoman said.
The 5.1 aftershock was one of three to hit the city in quick succession last night.
It was preceded by a quake measuring 3.0 at 9.43pm, 10km west of Lyttelton, at a depth of 5km, and followed by another measuring 2.9 at 10.05pm, 10km east of Christchurch, at a depth of 11km.
One source told NZPA the first tremor was what Christchurch residents had become accustomed to as a ``fairly standard'' aftershock, but the second 5.1 jolt was much stronger and lasted a lot longer.
Many aftershocks have been recorded since the ``big one'' of February 22.
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