Quake: Water restrictions lifted
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Water in Christchurch no longer needs to be boiled, authorities have announced, after tests revealed no bacterial contamination.
The Emergency Operations Centre this evening lifted its boil-water notice for Christchurch city, including Banks Peninsula. Restrictions were imposed after Saturday's 7.1 magnitude earthquake.
The relaxation of the restrictions followed three days of testing for the city's water, with more than 500 samples tested by city council and public health staff. The samples were all clear of bacterial contamination.
Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Alistair Humphrey said it was a "small step towards normality after such a difficult few days."
270 AFTERSHOCKS
Canterbury has received 270 aftershocks of magnitude 3 or above so far since Saturday's earthquake, according to GNS Science.
However, GNS seismologist Brian Ferris said people would have felt about 150 of those aftershocks.
About 10 aftershocks were between magnitude 5 and 5.5, 60 between 4 and 4.9 and 200 between 3 and 3.9, he said.
Since midnight there had been 18 aftershocks.
That includes this morning's violent magnitude 5.1 aftershock. Initially believed to be as powerful as 6.1, it hit Canterbury at 7.49am at a depth of 6km in the Lyttelton area. It was preceded by a 4.1 magnitude shock and followed by a 3.8.
The aftershock forced the closure of the Lyttelton tunnel, which has since been deemed safe and reopened.
The state of emergency in Christchurch has been extended for a further seven days after this morning's severe aftershock.
Victoria University's Dr John Townend said the number of aftershocks was not unusual considering the magnitude of the initial quake.
''This is what big earthquakes do. They cause aftershocks and they do rattle on for some time so nerves will be frayed.''
Dr Townend said Christchurch could still be hit by another large aftershock.
''With an earthquake of magnitude 7.1, like this one, the rule of thumb is you could get aftershocks as large as one unit lower - so magnitude 6.1.''
The quakes would probably continue for weeks but he expected they would diminish in strength.
''Basically what's happened is that this earthquake, the big one, has locally distressed that particular fault but in doing so it has transmitted stress to the neighbouring region.''
Civil Defence spokesman David Miller said the decision to extend the state of emergency, which was due to be lifted today, was made in response to this morning's aftershock.
It means Civil Defence has the power to close buildings and restrict access to certain areas.
People rushed from hotels and inner city businesses after this morning's aftershock, and power was out in parts of Christchurch.
Civil Defence assistant rescue manager Steve McCarthy said he was not aware of commercial buildings having suffered further damage following the major aftershock.
"That was just a quick and dirty survey. We're doing more detailed surveys at the moment," he said.
McCarthy said little was known about the condition of residential buildings, but the priority would be Bexley and Brooklands.
Duty chief engineer Alan Beuzenberg said there was "no change" to the city's water and sewerage systems.
Road bridges would be inspected and Evans Pass, near Sumner, checked for possible rock falls.
Elevator company Schindler Lifts was asking people to avoid catching lifts after today's aftershocks.
HELPLINE FIELDS EMPLOYERS' CALLS
The Government's earthquake helpline has received 99 calls from employers interested in the Earthquake Support Subsidy, Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said.
''We will know how many employees this will involve once they complete and return their application forms. Work and Income is confident that most, if not all, of these employers will meet the criteria to access the earthquake support subsidy.''
The first round of approvals will be confirmed with the Christchurch Chamber of Commerce tomorrow and payments released, he said.
Extra engineers are due in the city over the coming days, he said. The EQC team will rise to 43 by Friday and field offices progressively opened from Friday. He hopes there will be at least 10 offices, each staffed with loss adjustors, estimators, engineers and support staff.
Hydrotechs, which contracts to Watercare, will drive the three specialist vehicles and five crew to Christchurch, arriving late tomorrow night - a hydroblaster, a vacuum loader and a CCTV truck, he said.
Accommodation and catering for these crews will be provided at the Burnham Military Camp.
Nationwide water services company Drain Surgeons is also sending three vehicles from Auckland - a domestic drain unblocker, a flushing truck and a CCTV van - to complement the vehicles they already have in Christchurch, he said.
PETROL PANIC
Panic buying of fuel ensued today after rumours that stations were about to run out of petrol.
Both Greenstone, which operates the Shell retail network, and BP said sales had increased, but denied there was any problem with supply.
''There's been some pretty strong demand at our sites in Christchurch, which we think is linked to that [shortage rumour] but there's plenty of fuel in Christchurch,'' a spokesman for Greenstone said.
''Deliveries are being made all the time, all of our sites are up and running and we're expecting a major delivery by ship next week.''
While a fuel pipeline at Woolston was closed briefly after an aftershock yesterday, there was no damage to any infrastructure, the spokesman said.
APPEAL FUNDS COMBINED
The Red Cross will now co-ordinate the appeal fund for the Canterbury earthquake.
The mayoral fund, set up by Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker after Saturday's magnitude 7.1 quake, has been combined with the Red Cross appeal with the backing of all Canterbury mayors.
''Waimakariri District is at times quite isolated, it is especially heartening to know that we are not alone, as we face the difficult reality of each new day,'' said Waimakariri Mayor Ron Keating.
Selwyn Mayor Kelvin Coe said his district was grateful to have support to help rebuild lives.
The Canterbury mayors and New Zealand Red Cross chief executive John Ware have pledged that 100 percent of every donation received by the Canterbury earthquake appeal would be spent entirely on the people affected by the earthquake.
ROTORUA-LIKE SULPHUR SMELL REPORTED
A strong smell of sulphur spreading across Christchurch's eastern suburbs is unlikely to be gas, Civil Defence says.
New Brighton resident David Shone told WeatherWatch that people noticed the smell after Saturday's devastating 7.1 magnitude quake, saying it smelt similar to Rotorua.
The smell was today investigated by the Fire Service and Environment Canterbury's hazardous substance team.
''At this point, there is no indication that the smell should be of concern to residents. It does not appear to be a gas leak,'' Canterbury Civil Defence emergency management group said.
HOSPITAL: OUTPATIENT VISITS CANCELLED
Canterbury District Health Board has cancelled all outpatient clinic appointments at Christchurch Hospital today.
Staff were trying to reach affected patients to reschedule.
Tomorrow's appointments are still expected to proceed, but the situation will be reviewed later today.
Two men in their 50s were seriously injured in Saturday's earthquake. One has since been discharged from Christchurch Hospital. The other remains in a critical condition in the intensive care unit.
LYTTELTON TUNNEL OPEN AGAIN
The Lyttelton Tunnel has been deemed "structurally sound" and is now open.
The tunnel was closed shortly after this morning's major aftershock to allow safety checks to be carried out for possible damage
NZ Transport Agency spokesman Peter Connors said the initial assessment of the tunnel had been completed earlier than anticipated.
"While some superficial damage has been sustained the tunnel remains structurally sound and safe for use," he said.
"The safety of road users is our top priority, and we thank people for their patience while this work was carried out."
MORE BUILDINGS COMING DOWN
Workers were pulling down balustrades from the top of the two-storey 1901 Jacobsen Tiles building at the corner of Moorhouse Ave and Montreal St after parts of them crashed to the street in the aftershock.
"The building has just been earthquake strengthened, that's why the whole building is standing at the moment,'' said John Small of Consortium Construction.
Ballantynes store in the central city, which was due to reopen this morning, will remain closed following the jolt. About 20 staff were in the building at the time.
Melbourne tourist Barbara Shadbolt, who was staying at the Hotel Ibis in the central city, said she "rocked and rolled''.
"By the time I was wondering what to do, it was over.''
PERSONAL ACCOUNTS
Christchurch resident Abbie Rilkoff said she felt the aftershock more strongly than Saturday's quake.
"It was really scary. That one did more to our house than the big one, all the glasses moved from the shelves."
Fiona Fidow said it was the only shock since the big quake that felt as violent and frightening as the first. It was a very sharp shake.
Colleen Simpson said "I'm bloody terrified, all over again."
Tony Stuart, a roofing contractor who lives on the Cashmere Hills, said he was in his office at his home when the latest earthquake hit.
"There was stuff off shelves, the other part of my neighbour's wall has fallen off," a badly shaken Mr Stuart said.
"This is the biggest aftershock we have had. There is stuff falling all over the place.
"It is very scary."
A Stuff reporter in Christchurch said there was a "sudden jolt" and cracks appeared in her hotel room wall, and her power went out.
In the Millennium Hotel, on Cathedral Square, a staff member is stuck in a service lift and people are standing outside the building.
At the historic Press building, also in Cathedral Square, staffers were huddled outside under umbrellas.
Christchurch local Hessie Toms said this morning's earthquake was "one hell of a jolt."
"I was just going to go and have a coffee and then all of a sudden I felt this huge shudder."
Mrs Toms who usually works at the Copthorne Hotel, which has been declared unsafe, had been working at another inner city hotel this morning.
"I just said, I'm going home. We never had any cracks in our house before but my husband just rang and we do now."
"It's just a horrible, horrible feeling. You can't sleep because you're worried about earthquakes and then you feel a judder."
"When I got to work this morning at 5am I couldn't hear the birds chirping. That's when I knew the earthquakes were still around."
The emergency centre at the city's art gallery was evacuated after the aftershock, Christchurch City Council spokeswoman Diane Keenan said.
"Everyone is really shaken, I'd say it's pretty serious. The power went off but some of the traffic lights are working again now," Keenan said.
"The jolt was absolutely huge. A really big, stiff jolt. And it was vertical, rather than side to side like the first one. If you were in a car the road moved up and down."
Lyttelton Timebank coordinator Julie Lee said the town's fire siren had sounded but there were no crowds assembled.
"I can still see the top of the Empire Hotel," she said, referring to one of the buildings that suffered severe cracking in Saturday's quake.
Lee appealed for "men in Lyttelton with good DIY skills" to be on-call to help with any repairs or chimneys that may need to come down.
She asked that able-bodied individuals contact her on 3288223.
Westfield Mall in Riccarton has also closed.
REPAIR WORKERS 'CHASING THEIR TAILS'
In Waimakariri, one of the areas most damaged by the quake, council spokeswoman Monese Ball said the continual aftershocks was making life extremely tough for those trying to fix the water and sewage.
"Every time they fix breaks, more breaks appear. They're chasing their tails," Mrs Ball said.
Everyone in the Kaiapoi welfare centre was fine she said, but nerves were beginning to fray.
"It's day four now, a few people are getting quite stressed. The sooner the kids especially can get back to school and some normality, the better."
SCHOOLS REMAIN CLOSED
Civil Defence says all schools in Christchurch city, Selwyn and Waimakariki Districts will remain closed today.
The Director of Civil Defence and Emergancy Management, John Hamilton, said that some schools might reopen on Thursday, but that is a decision that the individual Board of Trustees for each school to make.
Boards of Trustees must consider the safety of the schools when deciding whether to reopen.
Parents can contact their own schools for specific information about the situation there.
'TOUGH DECISION AHEAD'
Some of the areas hardest hit by Saturday's earthquake might not be rebuilt, Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says.
He said it was "too soon to jump to conclusions", but "significant consideration" should be given to the soil types on which subdivisions were built.
"We've seen now exactly what can happen to these areas in the face of a significant seismic event, and my view is that we need to think very carefully before rebuilding some of the worst-hit areas," he said.
"What we've identified is potentially a new fault line in certain parts of the city, and that will forever change the way we look at the shape of our city."
Parker said he did not want to alarm people who were already anxious, but the council had a duty of care to the community.
"If we can actually identify that areas like that are no longer suitable, then some tough decisions have to be made, and they have to be made quickly."
The highest priority would be to resolve problems for New Brighton and Avonside residents, he said.
"When those councils, years ago, made some of the decisions about residential areas, they probably did give it a lot of thought and take a lot of advice, and there would have been a diversity of opinions," he said.
"Historically, of course, there were already many, many houses built over on that [east] side of the city, but I think we have to revisit that."
Mark Quigley, a Canterbury University lecturer in active tectonics and tectonic geomorphology, said suburbs had been built on areas known to be prone to liquefaction.
Enterprise Homes built 150 houses in Bexley's Pacific Park subdivision over 10 years.
Company director David Renwick said all houses had to be certified to the engineering requirements of the city council. He said that until an expert had assessed the area, people should not leap to conclusions.
Plumber Roy Smith, who has been in his quake-hit Dallington home for two weeks, said people did not like moving and would prefer an engineering fix, such as more houses with pile foundations.
Property lawyer Jim Keegan, a partner at Cavell Leitch, said information on suspect ground had been available in land information memorandum documents (LIMs), issued by all territorial authorities, for 10 to 15 years. "The council have been pretty specific in terms of allowing building in certain areas proven to have peat or sandy soil that would require additional foundations because of the liquefaction threat," he said.
Structural engineer Stephen Barrow, of Lewis and Barrow, said some sandy areas probably should not have had subdivisions approved but such zoning was up to the council.
EQC CLAIMS
Claims to the Earthquake Commission (EQC) for damage to homes following Saturday's earthquake are likely to cost close to the $2 billion mark.
The EQC deals only with claims from house owners, not from businesses, and said yesterday it had received 21,000 claims and expected that figure to climb to at least 100,000.
"We are rapidly increasing numbers of lines and call centre staff and expect that the problem will ease over the next few days," commission chief executive Ian Simpson said.
The Government announced a wage subsidy of $350 gross a week for workers in businesses that have fewer than 20 employers and that haven't been able to open because of the quake.
- Stuff.co.nz and The Press with NZPA
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Hi there JEmx, earthquakes are due to fault lines, not the acts of a mythical figure. Keep your ignorant buffoonery to yourself.
Take good are of yourselves my dear Kiwi's we are thinking about you all the way in Austin, TX.
Keep the Faith. These are just Trials we need to overcome.. PRAY everyday, Help the weaker ones. God will never forsake anyone if you Still believe in Him. Keep the Faith.. We'll pray for you all.. Love my city Christchurch..
regards CHCH residents in AUSTRALIA/melbourne
of course it's the governments fault we are having these earthquakes. They were the ones who sacked the ecan councillors and as a coincidence made the whole region unstable.
What can the rest of the world do to help? Bless all you Kiwi's -- you are close in the hearts of so many.
this is a serious crisis, im from wellington and we might be in a serious crisis , people are thinking that the world might end , but dont think it is but the earthquake is just a thing that happens very often , but not a serious like this one :(
god bless New Zealand ♥
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Do you cycle in Christchurch?
there was a very pungent smell of sulphur in South Shore just after the quake. Similarly over in Middleton after yesterday morning's largest aftershock