Residents left scared and emotional

Just as Cantabrians were gearing up to farewell a horrific year, two large aftershocks rocked the region, leaving residents scared and emotional.

The first tremor, a magnitude 5.8, struck at 1.58pm. It was followed by a magnitude-5.3 at 2.06pm and a magnitude-6.0 at 3.18pm.

Lance Burke, who works at Hanafins Photo and Video at Westfield Riccarton, said people "totally panicked" when the first quake hit.

"It chucked people about a bit. People totally panicked and then ran out of the mall really."

Burke said the mall was "absolutely full of people".

"It couldn't have happened on a worse day," he said.

Twitter user Sam Law said he was standing in a homewares shop when the quake struck.

Glasses and plates broke and people screamed and ran, he said.

A visitor to the city said Westfield Riccarton was being evacuated. Terrified shoppers stumbled and fell as they fled the from mall and items tumbled off shelves.

Pania Burgess, 39, was in Pak 'n Save Riccarton supermarket when the first quake hit.

''A woman near me was getting hysterical. A lot of lighting came down near us. It was terrifying really.''

Burgess said petrified shoppers ''barged'' for the exits after the quake.

Anthony Surynt was working in a Sydenham electrical workshop when the first quake struck.

He said it was the biggest one he had felt since June 13, when a magnitude-6.3 shook the city.

He could see the Hotel Grand Chancellor in the central business district, which was being demolished, and said it was still standing.

Nothing had fallen off the shelves but it was a scare as there had not been many large earthquakes in the area for a while, he said.

St Martins resident Jo Davis said she could hear sirens and was hoping there were no injuries.

"I was terrified, I guess just because it's been so long since we've had a decent one. We've had a TV and glasses fall over but no repeat of liquefaction like in June so I guess it's not so bad.

"There were four kids here since it's school holidays and the two-year-old in the sandpit was the least worried. The neighbours were screaming."

Staff and visitors at the Ferrymead Heritage Park clung to each other as the first quake hit and emptied shelves in the gift shop.

''It was horrible - not as bad as the February one but horrible just the same,'' a staff member said.

''We clung to each other - it seemed to go on for a long time.

''There was a noise but there were lots of noises - the quake and then everything falling off shelves.''

No major damage to the park or its buildings at the foot of the Port Hills was immediately apparent.

June Goodman, a Papanui retiree was at Christchurch International Airport waiting for a flight when the first earthquake hit.

She said while she had learned to cope with the quakes, today's shake was clearly large. 

"It was quite a ripple - I couldn't believe it. It was like a ripple going across the floor, that's how I felt it - some of them are a violent shake but that was more like a wave."

Shirley resident Jenny Dalziel said the first quake was about 10 seconds long and shook things off shelves.

She said she was driving to her mother's house and had spotted liquefaction bubbling up in some areas though it did not appear as serious as previous quakes.

Vanya Rothwell, of Linwood, was at Eastgate Shopping Centre with her daughter and grandson. They were in their car in the parking lot.

"It felt as if we were towing a trailer or had hit another car and then it started to really bounce the car."

They got out of the car when aftershocks hits. People were running out of the mall screaming, and children were crying, Rothwell said.

- © Fairfax NZ News