No major damage after earthquake

Christchurch remains devastated following a magnitude 6.3 quake in February. Photo / Geoff Sloan

A central Christchurch building is being demolished after it was damaged further by a 5.3 magnitude aftershock yesterday, but early indications suggest the city has escaped significant new damage, authorities say.

The quake shook the battered city at 5.49pm yesterday and was followed overnight by a number smaller aftershocks, the largest of which measured 4.1 on the Richter scale.

The aftershock was among the largest to hit the battered city since February 22's deadly 6.3 tremor.

Civil Defence authorities said the Strategy Building in Victoria Street had become too dangerous to remain standing and was currently being demolished. Nearby roads were closed.

Some houses in the Lyttelton, Redcliffe, Mt Pleasant and Estuary Road areas are without water as repairs take place on 12 bursts water pipes.

Work was underway to restore water to those properties later today.

Overall water and storm water systems were working as normal and power which was initially cut to 20,000 homes had been restored by 7.50pm last night, Civil Defence said.

Small pockets of liquefaction had been reported in the eastern suburbs but rocks which fell on to Evans Pass Road had been cleared.

All of the Christchurch CBD is currently closed for assessment.

Engineers were in the central city this morning to assess any further damage caused by the 5.3 aftershock.

And until this assessment was completed there would be no access for business owners to the red zone.

Engineers at Lyttelton Port are checking for fresh damage. All container terminal and coal operations are on standby, until their assessments are complete.

The 5.3 magnitude quake was centred within 5km of Lyttelton, 12km southeast of central Christchurch, at a depth of 11km, GNS reported.

Rocks fell in Sumner and Redcliffs and there were reports of liquefaction and flooding in eastern suburbs.

Civil Defence reported a number of roads had been damaged.

Christchurch remains devastated following a magnitude 6.3 quake on February 22, which claimed an estimated 181 lives.

That quake followed a magnitude 7.1 quake last September 4.

Mayor Bob Parker was at a public meeting in Bromley when it hit.

"It was very scary and a large number of older people were quite upset and a number had to be escorted away," he said.

Parker then drove through the city and saw masonry had fallen off some buildings and the power outages "led to a bit of traffic chaos".

Although it was something people didn't need on a Saturday night, people were coping amazingly well, said Parker.

"I think the most damage was to our state of minds."

TelstraClear reported a number of its roadside cabinets were down last night causing loss of service for phone customers.

Meanwhile, a meeting of minds is being organised amid concerns there is not enough rock in South Island quarries to cater for the Christchurch rebuild.

Representatives from councils, roading companies, quarries, concrete suppliers and environmental agencies will discuss the issue in Christchurch tomorrow.

Roger Parton of the Aggregate and Quarry Association says everything from roads, to buildings to stormwater and sewerage systems needs concrete.

- NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB