Key tours worst-hit quake areas

KIRK HARGREAVES/The Press

WELFARE CENTRE VISIT: John Key, flanked by Paula Bennett, meets people taking refuge at Twiggers Restaurant at Addington Raceway.

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Prime Minister John Key is touring through the areas of Canterbury hardest hit by Saturday's earthquake.

In Kaiapoi this morning, Key emerged from his motorcade to be told by resident Cathryn Hopkinson that they had just felt another heavy aftershock.

Key did not feel the shake from inside his car. 

Despite the heavy tremor, Key is continuing his tour of the region and is now on his way to the epicentre of Saturday's quake in Darfield.

Hopkinson told of how water had risen from the ground during Saturday morning's quake and flooded up to her front door.

Key, along with local National MPs, earlier stopped at a home lifted metres upwards by the quake. He has passed through streets heavily drenched with silt.

"It shows you how well the building code works in New Zealand as [the houses] had been picked up, ripped apart and yet the structure has survived enough that people could escape," Mr Key said after viewing one house.

Mr Key spoke with Andrew Blackwell, the fifth-generation owner of Kaiapoi's historic Blackwell's Department Store, which crumbled in the quake.

"It's been in operation since 1871, so it's been around a long time, but it hasn't survived this earthquake," Mr Key said.

Mr Key stopped to speak to local residents about their experiences in the quake and hear how they were coping in the aftermath.

Leanne Lloyd, 46, told Mr Key her power was back on, but that she was still without water and sewerage services.

"We've got the portaloos, but you don't want to be in there in an aftershock - in and out as quick as you can," Ms Lloyd told a laughing Mr Key.

After leaving Kaiapoi, the politicians headed west to Kirwee and were then to travel south to the quake's epicentre in Selwyn.

MORE VISITS PLANNED

Key is planning more visits to Canterbury, after visiting welfare centres in Christchurch last night.

"At this stage it would be my intention to come back on Saturday, although that's very much a work in progress at the moment, and then I'll return next week," he said.

Key dug in to help serve up food at the welfare centre at Addington racecourse last night.

The numbers in the centres rose yesterday after three overnight aftershocks caused more alarm and damage.

Mr Key said the duration of the current state of emergency was up to the local mayors and civil defence.

"It should last as long as it makes sense. Everyone is keen to restore the city and the surrounding districts back into a fully operational capacity as soon as possible, but we are dealing with some very difficult situations.

"Of paramount importance is the safety and security of Christchurch residents and surrounding areas."

"As this disaster unfolds what we're seeing is some areas are much more badly affected than we thought they were, and, in fact, the damage is much greater than we thought it was."

- with NZPA