Culture

A Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake Strikes New Zealand, Leaving Damage And Sparking Tsunami Fears

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47XExt6dkKQ

A large 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook New Zealand late on Sunday local time, the largest quake to strike the country in recent years. The quake was centralized in Hanmer Springs, 90 kilometers from Christchurch according to the Herald Sun and was felt all the way to Wellington. According to CNN, Christchurch was devastated by a 6.3 magnitude quake that killed 185 people. No deaths have been reported from this quake yet, likely due to the lower depth of 14.2 miles for Sunday’s quake.

Many are reporting their experiences with the quake, with New Zealander Tamara Hunt telling CNN that it is the strongest quake they’ve ever felt:

“It started off so small, like the cat moving in the bed, but then it started building and I had to run to the door. Stuff in the house was falling over and the doors were swaying really bad,” she said. “Then we decided to get out, and that’s when we saw our pool had lost a lot of water. The earthquake went on for two minutes.”

Images and video from the quake show some of the damage and experiences during the quake.

https://twitter.com/RealScottFack/status/797767104514531332

https://twitter.com/BreakingNLive/status/797795505933783040

There is also the lingering threat of a tsunami following the quake. An initial wave hit the coast soon after the end of the quake, measuring two-meters in height. Officials warned that tsunami activity would continue for hours and urged citizens to keep to higher crowd as a precaution.

Despite the strength of the quake and the serious nature, some kept a sense of humor online following some of the damage. Not everything was as dire as a possible tsunami or killer aftershock striking the area.

https://twitter.com/kiwiclara/status/797776391131394048

Earthquakes are a fairly regular occurence for New Zealanders given their location in a “collision zone” on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The country’s placement between the Indo-Australian and Pacific tectonic plates is responsible for at least 12 powerful earthquakes — 6.0 magnitude or higher — since 2007.

UPDATE – 5:40pm EST: CNN reports that at least two people have died as a result of the primary quake and its aftershocks.

(Via Herald Sun / CNN / BBC News)