Frustration in damaged city

Christchurch Earthquake

Powerful quake rocks South Island

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The City council-owned Shoreham Courts in New Brighton are being evacuated against the wishes of some residents. Pictured is Lorraine Burrows, centre left, her son, Jamie, 8, left, Charllisa Sutton-Taylor and Oceana Rawiri at right.

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The mood was tense in Christchurch as residents tried to escape their damaged city after this morning's massive earthquake.

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Buildings were destroyed, infrastructure including water and sewage pipes damaged, and people injured in the 7.1 earthquake which struck 40km west of Christchurch at 4.35am. it is the most damaging since  the 1931 earthquake in Napier.

There were reports of fighting and serious backlogs at petrol stations and traffic jams on the city's roads.

Dozens of cars had lined up for petrol as early as 8am this morning with little success for many motorists as the Eftpos system was down.

Some drivers just locking their cars and walking off in frustration, eyewitnesses said.

Resident Abigail Rilkoff called the situation "frantic."

"People are all yelling at each other, it's just crazy," Ms Rilkoff said.

"The service stations won't open their doors - I think they're concerned that people are going to start stealing food - so everyone has to line up at the after hours window."

"So many people don't have water or power, everyone's just trying to get out of town."

Despite warnings from emergency services to stay inside, hundreds of people went outside looking around.

Many shops had significant damage. Outside liquor stores, the smell of alcohol was extremely strong, with fumes wafting through broken windows.

Aftershocks rocked the city at regular intervals.

NARROW ESCAPES

Stories of narrow escapes have emerged from the wreckage.

A Christchurch family ran for their lives as their historic homestead collapsed around them this morning.

Taylor Fleet, 13, and his parents Richard and Michelle Hawes are the leaseholders of the historic Godley House in Diamond Harbour and now face an uncertain future.

The quake caused major structural cracking and turned the hotel into a bombsite. Richards Hawes said the 130-year-old building wobbled like jelly and he thought the floor on which the family was sleeping was going to collapse.

"I thought I was going to die. I really did," he said

Meanwhile a woman said a friend saved her life when he pulled her from her bed as the wall of her house collapsed this morning.

St Albans woman Marsha Witehira narrowly escaped injury as the wall of bedroom came tumbling after the devastating quake.

Witehira's friend was asleep in the lounge at the time. He felt the vibrations, rushed to her room and pulled her clear by her legs before her bedroom wall collapsed, she said.

The bricks fell on her bed, destroying her room.

Witehira, who was being comforted by friends earlier, was distraught by the incident but thankful to be alive.

"He saved my life, no doubt about it...if I had been there, I would have smashed my head," she said.

- with The Press

- © Fairfax NZ News