Multiple fatalities are being reported in Christchurch following a magnitude 6.3 earthquake. Prime Minister John Key told TV3 this evening at least 65 people were confirmed dead in what he described as one of New Zealand's darkest days.
(Updated with comments from John Key, Civil Defence Director John Hamilton, death toll, videos, Parliament civil defence reports, note on phone use, comments from the Police and Christchurch Press chief reporter).
The New Zealand Police released a statement describing a scene of chaos and mass destruction.
Death toll set to rise
Earlier, at 6pm, Civil Defence Director John Hamilton said at least 17 people had died.. "We are expecting that number to climb given the number of casulties that have have been reported - injuries that is," Hamilton added.
The police were managing the deaths that may arise, with next of kin to be notified, Hamilton said.
"Meanwhile, the National Crisis Management Centre is providing the resources down to Christchurch to make sure that Christchurch and the civil defence authorities and emergency services have all the resources that they need to help people in Christchurch," he said.
An urban search and rescue team being provided by Australia was on its way.
"We would expect that to arrive probably after midnight, being flown in by a Royal Australian Airforce aircraft," Hamilton said.
"We have deployed the first of the urban search and rescue teams from New Zealand – from Auckland – down to Christchurch and there’s a second one to be deployed shortly as well," he said.
"Throughout the emergency services extra capacity is being drafted in from other regions to deploy to Christchurch. For example ambulances from further down the South Island are on their way to Christchurch. Hospitals in other centres have cleared the non-critical patients out so that the hospital is clear to take casualties which will be flown in, if necessary, from Christchurch.
"We are also in the early stages of providing extra assistance through the form of military personal to assist the police in securing the badly damaged part of the city to make sure that, one, the people are safe and out of the badly affected area, and that the damaged buildings are secure," Hamilton said.
He could not give a number of how many people were expected trapped in buildings.
Destruction
The Press chief reporter Kamala Hayman told interest.co.nz that destruction, including to the historic newspaper building located off Cathedral Square, was widespread with broken glass littering the streets, roads warped, flooding and liquefaction.
"The Cathedral is severely damaged. There are fears for people inside," Hayman said.
"The Provincial Chambers is also trashed and the Pyne Gould Guinness (PGC House) building."
Dozens were believed trapped and at least one fatality was confirmed inside PGC House on Cambridge Terrace. Officials with Pyne Gould Corporation said they were trying to contact employees and their families to account for missing staff.
In the hours following the earthquake, which struck at 12.51 pm, the city continued to be pumelled by aftershocks.
Hayman said the city was severely ravaged, compared to the first earthquake.
"It was really horrible."
With officials evaculating the city centre, panic-stricken workers were returning home to check on loved ones and to assess new or additional damage to homes.
In some cases, people were returning home on foot with cars being abandoned in streets due to upturned sections of road and blown sewer mains. Others immobilised by fear and or shock were frozen in their tracks surveying the smouldering mess. (For more see New Zealand Herald updates)
GeoNet says the earthquake was centred at Lyttelton at a depth of 5 kilometres.
TV3 has pictures showing significant damage to Christchurch Cathedral. Christchurch Hospital is also reportedly damaged with the airport being evacuated.
Some witnesses have described the earthquake, which was also felt in other parts of the South Island, as more violent than the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck the Canterbury region on September 4 last year.
The New Zealand dollar fell from US76.30 cents to US75.50c after the earthquake.
Read the Police statement below:
A major earthquake in Christchurch at 12.51pm has caused widespread damage and injury. The central city is currently being evacuated as reports are received of widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure. Multiple fatalities have been reported at several locations in the central city, including two buses crushed by falling buildings.
A doctor and emergency services are attending. Other reports include multiple building collapses, fires in buildings in the central and persons reported trapped in buildings. All available police staff are assisting with evacuations and emergency responses.
Christchurch Hospital is not evacuated and is in operation. No injuries reported at Christchurch Airport. Defence forces have been called in to assist.
IMPORTANT MESSAGES: Triage centres have been established for people with injuries at: - Latimer Square, Central City - Spotlight Mall, Sydenham - Sanitarium, Papanui Police advise that people who have evacuated their homes or buildings should report to their nearest Civil Defence sector post - usually schools.
Further updates will be issued as available.
A media briefing will be advised as soon as possible later today.
Parts of the city that were previously unscathed have been affected this time. The seaside village of Sumner was among them. Crumbling cliffsides and falling rocks covered much of the area in dust. Shag Rock, a postcard landmark of the community, was flattened.
Clifton Hill resident Kirsty Meyers said the front half of her house had been destroyed, after withstanding the initial Sept.4 earthquake and more than 2000 aftershocks.
Like many others struggling to come to terms with the ongoing mayhem, the family had fled to the safety of their car.
Mobile phones
Telecom and Vodafone have asked people to not overload networks with non-emergency calls, saying people who need to use phones should stick to text messages or short calls if they can.
Civil Defence communication difficulties
Meanwhile, reports from Parliament are that the civil defence bunker in the Beehive basement is finding it hard to contact Christchurch Civil Defence, as well as hospitals and schools there.
No chart with that title exists.
We welcome your comments below. If you are not already registered, please register to comment
Remember we welcome robust, respectful and insightful debate. We don't welcome abusive or defamatory comments and will de-register those repeatedly making such comments. Our current comment policy is here.