Christchurch earthquake: Buildings, residents suffer with aftershocks

Road damage after the Christchurch earthquake. Photo / APN

Christchurch residents just want the shaking to stop, as dozens of aftershocks further damage not only the community's fragile emotional state, but buildings and infrastructure as well.

People around the region were kept awake by a series of strong aftershocks on Monday night including one of magnitude 5.2 and two of 5.4. Further aftershocks hit last night.

The region was rocked by a further five aftershocks in the early hours of this morning, the largest of which was 4.6 on the Richter scale at 12.41am.

It was followed by a 3.7 quake at 3.47am, a 4.5 at 3.59am, another 3.7 at 6.09am and a 3.5 just fifteen minutes later. All the quakes had an epicentre within 30km of Darfield and had a focal depth of 15km or less.

The shocks closed at least two major public buildings after new cracks appeared, original cracks in streets and homes widened and residents reported running from buildings and standing under doorways as the area shook again.

More people have been turning to the welfare centres for help, too afraid to stay in their homes during the aftershocks. Some are reconsidering the city as a place to live.

In Keller St, Avonside, where gangs of contractors were getting a major clean-up under way yesterday, residents said the aftershocks were the worst thing about the disaster.

John Buchanan said his sick wife had increased her tranquillisers so she could sleep.

Everyone expected the aftershocks, but it was still a "bit hard" to sleep. "You're always wondering if it's going to get worse."

Poorna Beri hoped the aftershocks would stop soon.

"It's scary, really scary. We can't sleep at all. On one tremor last night we jumped out of bed and stood under the door, because we don't know is it going to get worse. It is absolutely terrifying."

Another neighbour said she and her partner now slept with torches in their hands.

They left the doors open while they were in the house because they had learned that doors jam shut in quakes, and had their bags permanently packed, ready to run if necessary.

While dozens of people from the street had been clearing away silt yesterday, there were a lot fewer yesterday.

Even emergency professionals found the aftershocks unnerving. "I seriously thought about getting out of bed and getting me socks and pants on, and then it stopped," senior Dunedin firefighter Jason Hill said.

And territorial soldier Corporal Tim Rae said the soldiers in his camp had also been a "in a bit of a flap".

For the worst affected, aftershocks bring abject terror. Kaiapoi resident Judi Pincott said Monday night's big shakes made her feel sick.

"My husband Clive and I jumped out of bed, stood under the doorway and braced ourselves."

When it died down, the whole family got up and gathered in the lounge, and did not go back to sleep that night.

She had been trying to hold things together emotionally until after she had got everything out of her home, but the aftershocks on Monday had caused her to "melt down", she said.

"You expect them to get smaller, but they are just getting bigger, it's hard to deal with."

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES, NZHERALD STAFF