Fresh Zealand earthquake: Recap after 7.8 magnitude quake killed two and more than one thousand six hundred aftershocks caused ‘utter devastation’

Tourists were evacuated from coastal town Kaikoura which has been badly hit by the series of large tremors

Updated 13:52, fifteen NOV 2016

Three major earthquakes and more than one thousand six hundred aftershocks have hit Fresh Zealand since Monday, killing two people and causing devastation across Christchurch and Kaikoura.

Tsunami warnings were issued as authorities urged people living along the east coast to stir to higher ground.

The very first quake struck fifty seven miles north-northeast of Christchurch just after midnight local time on Monday and shook much of the country.

A 2nd of 6.Two magnitude struck Fresh Zealand’s South Island at around Two.20am on Tuesday.

And later that day, a third earthquake of Five.8 magnitude was reported to have hit at around 7am.

Two deaths have been reported – one in Kaikoura and one in Mt Lyford, however Prime Minister John Key said the death toll could rise.

A duo who had evacuated their home came back to find it had been ransacked, as burglars also stole their disabled daughter’s $Five,000 custom-made hearing aid.

And a family of cows were spotted stuck on a patch of grass as the quake wiped out their surroundings – but were later miraculously rescued.

Fresh Zealand earthquake

Key Events

More than one thousand six hundred quakes since Monday

There have been more than one thousand six hundred aftershocks since the very first earthquake on Monday, and it shows no sign of stopping yet.

Today, two days after the initial tremors, a Five.8 quake was reported in Kaikoura.

Locals are still being advised to stay safe, and some buildings have been evacuated.

Authorities are still considering excluding other buildings into a crimson zone.

Providing food and water is priority

Right now, providing food and water to the residents of Kaikoura and Christchurch remains priority.

Essential water supplies and food supply routes were cut off during the earthquake.

Landslides blocked some major roads and upheaved railway tracks.

The clean up operation is now underway, with authorities and residents moving glass, rubble and displaced objects.

Mobile phone lines have been reconnected after a network outage across the area.

But bottled water and food are in brief supply, with authorities working on getting enough supply for residents.

Movie shows clean-up operation

A movie shows authorities working to clear bruised roads today as hundreds of tourists and residents were in the process of being evacuated from the South Island town of Kaikoura.

The 7.8-magnitude tremor happened early on Monday morning, demolishing farm homesteads, sending glass and masonry toppling from buildings in the capital, Wellington, and cutting road and rail links via the northeast of the South Island.

The town of Kaikoura, a popular base for whale-watching about one hundred fifty km (90 miles) northeast of Christchurch, the South Island’s main city, remains cut off by massive landslips.

“They’re going hard at it so they’ll do it as quick as they can and I’d say in a pretty brief time just to get the traffic flowing through this road, to get Kaikoura open again,” said road maintenance contractor, Peter Ford.

Hundreds of homes remained without power and telecommunications, with big cracks in roads, land slips and other harm to infrastructure making it hard to reach the worst-affected areas.

Elsewhere, flooding caused by mighty rain has hindered cleanup efforts in the capital Wellington, with water spilling through road cracks and mud surrounding homes, local media reported.

Christchurch, the largest city on Fresh Zealand’s South Island, is still recovering from the 6.Trio quake in two thousand eleven that killed one hundred eighty five people.

Fresh Zealand’s Geonet measured Monday’s main quake at magnitude 7.Five, while the U.S. Geological Survey put it at 7.8.

Seismologists said the quake actually appeared to be two near simultaneous tremors which shook much of the country for around two minutes.

Fresh Zealand lies in the seismically active “Ring of Fire”, a 40,000-km arc of volcanoes and oceanic trenches that encircles much of the Pacific Ocean. Around ninety percent of the world’s earthquakes occur in this region.

PM John Key missed call from Trump

Prime Minister John Key exposed he missed a phone call from US President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump had called to suggest support during the devastating earthquake.

But Key admitted he failed to pick up due to the “hurly burly” of ongoings.

He told the Fresh Zealand Herald: “What happened was there was a bit of a discussion inbetween my office and his office on the Saturday about a call.

“We weren’t rigorously sure when the president-elect was going to ring, they said it was in the next duo of hours.”=

He added: “I didn’t see the call when it came in, in the hurly burly of things I didn’t notice.

Brit tourist tells of horrifying tsunami evacuation

A British tourist has described the moment she was evacuated from a hostel as the Fresh Zealand earthquake hit.

NHS worker Hayley Turner was staying in the Abel Tasman National Park when she was woken by the jiggling of her room.

She described how the room, which was built on stilts, swayed and creaked as the 7.8 magnitude quake struck Christchurch, two hundred sixty miles away.

The force of the quake was such that it shook the hostel – and Hayley told how they were evacuated due to tsunami threats.

Hayley, 30, from Deganwy, North Wales, said: “Around midnight I was abruptly woken by the room wiggling, not truly sure what what happening primarily.

“I looked across and spotted that all room mates were awake, one was sat bolt upright clearly very frightened.

“We got up and stood on the decking, to see a number of other tourists stood outside.

“Our accommodation was on stilts and jiggling strenuously, it was eerily quiet apart from the creaking of the decking.

“I stepped off the decking onto the concrete and realised the ground was still jiggling, it lasted about a minute.

“I’d felt earthquakes before, just not on the same scale as this one, I was told it was 7.Four magnitude where we were. One person was in tears and very shaken up.

“We went back to bed, the hostel manager Rona told us there had been an earthquake, she was keeping an eye on the news and would let us know if we needed to do anything.”

She was abruptly woken up by the hostel manager Rona and told they needed to leave instantly.

Hayley said: “At Four:30am we were woken by Rona and told we needed to evacuate instantaneously as there were tsunami warnings in place.

“I grabbed some warm clothes and got onto the bus, realising things were a bit more serious than I very first expected.

“There was a sense of urgency as people grabbed belongings not knowing how long we’d be away from the barn.

“The accommodation was right next to the beach and not a good place to be in the event of a tsunami.

“Some relatives had seen on the news about the earthquake and were phoning to check if people were ok.

“I managed to get a message through to my parents to let them know I was ok before losing signal.”

Fortunately Hayley was safe across the ordeal, and added she feels “very sorry” for those affected in Christchurch and Kaikoura.

Aftershock felt in Parliament

This morning’s Five.8 magnitude aftershock was felt in Parliament.

MPs grabbed their seats as the strong tremors hit, reports TVNZ.

It was one of hundreds of aftershocks that have happened since the 7.8 earthquake.

Schools closed

32 schools were closed today after earthquake harm and flooding.

Storms have ravaged parts of Fresh Zealand in the days following the 7.8 quake.

Many students also missed exams after being stuck in gridlock traffic while attempting to get to school.

The Ministry of Education listed thirty two schools in Wellington, Taranaki and Nelson as being closed due to flooding.

A ministry spokesperson added: “This may not be a utter list as schools don’t necessarily update us and their plans sometimes switch.”

Victim named

One of the two people who died during the earthquake has been named.

Jo-Anne Mackinnon, in her 50s, died in Mt Lyford – her cause of death is still unknown.

Her fucking partner Gary Morton said she was “loved by all” and paid tribute to her.

The duo were “thrown around” as they evacuated their log cabin in the mountains, Mr Morton said.

He added: “Everything was so good and then ‘bang’. She was right beside me.”

“Everybody she met along the way loved her. She touched the hearts of everybody.”

Boy George lends support

Boy George has tweeted about the earthquake in Fresh Zealand.

The singer described it as “sad news” and said his “thoughts and prayers” were with those affected.

Storms proceed to batter the country after the series of earthquakes.

Foreign Office suggest travel advice

The Foreign Office has advised British nationals in Fresh Zealand to go after local advice.

It warned of aftershocks and a possible tsunami, and told Brits to look to authorities for help.

A message posted on the website read: “We advise British nationals in Fresh Zealand to go after the advice of the local authorities.

“If a major earthquake or landslide occurs close to shore, you should go after the instructions of local authorities, bearing in mind that a tsunami could arrive within minutes.

“The Fresh Zealand government is working to evacuate all tourists from Kaikoura, and we encourage British nationals in that area to go after any instructions given to them.

“If you’re visiting remote areas of Fresh Zealand, make sure your journey details are known to local authorities or friends/relatives before setting out. Weather conditions can quickly become treacherous, especially in winter.”

Another strong aftershock

An aftershock measuring Five.8 magnitude has caused “strong wiggling” in Kaikoura.

GeoNet reported that the tremor was felt around half an hour ago, at 7.30pm local time (6.30am GMT).

It was listed as “severe” on the site.

Homes evacuated amid fears of collapse

Three homes were evacuated as fire fighters fear a 10-storey building could collapse.

The building, on Molesworth Street in Wellington, could come down due to harm sustained in the earthquake and subsequent storms.

Pictures on Twitter display the structure still standing, after being cleared of any residents.

Air Force brings supplies to thuosands stranded in Kaikkoura

Around 1,200 tourists were stranded in Kaikoura.

The Fresh Zealand Defence Force and other emergency services have been using helicopters to fly in supplies and fly out those who want to leave.

Mark Solomon, a leader of South Island indigenous Maori Ngai Tahu tribe, which has tourism and fisheries businesses around Kaikoura, said the local marae (Maori meeting place) had received 1,000 people since Monday morning.

Many slept overnight in the communal hall or in vehicles outside.

The tribe had fed them with crayfish, a delicacy for which the South Island town is famous. With no power, the tanks that hold the expensive crustaceans had stopped pumping.

“It’s better to use the food than throw it in the rubbish so we sent it up to the marae to feed people,” Solomon said.

Pakistan cricket coach recalls ‘scary’ moment hotel hit by earthquake

Pakistan’s cricket team are presently in Nelson, Fresh Zealand, ahead of a test match.

Their coach Mickey Arthur has been speaking of the ‘scary’ moment the tremor hit while they were in a hotel.

The test match in Christchurch is still due to go ahead on November 17.

‘Donald Trump has been attempting to meet up” – Prime Minister John Key

Fresh Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key has said international leaders have been in touch to suggest their support, including President-elect Donald Trump.

Key told Newshub it was significant to attempt to stop earthquakes impacting on the tourism industry.

“I do slightly worry about earthquakes because the news travels around the world, this is a big one – 7.Five. A lot of leaders around the world that I know contacted me so they’re watching it on their TV sets.”

Speaking on Mike Hosking Breakfast this morning, Key said United States President-elect Donald Trump had attempted to call him yesterday.

“That’s the message I got. I didn’t see it but he’s been attempting to meet up.

“I suspect the combination of just wanting to make that very first call and I’m sure they would have got reports of what had happened.”

Trump didn’t leave a number but Key said he had a number for him and expected the call would happen today or tomorrow.

Movie: Rescue efforts in Fresh Zealand

Here’s some movie from the rescue effort in Kaikora.

Gale-force winds and rain were hampering recovery efforts, and hundreds of aftershocks continued to rock the region.

Around 1,200 tourists were stranded in the town, officials said, with many compelled to stay in makeshift campsites and make do with whatever food became available.

“I never thought that I would have crayfish for breakfast in this situation,” said a woman at a campsite.

Flooding in Wellington

Wellington, the capital of Fresh Zealand, is being hit by a storm and flooding following the earthquakes.

Some pictures posted here by Raj Khushal expose the extent of it in the Hutt Valley.

Stranded cows have been SAVED

A petite chunk of uplifting news to report – the cows who were left stranded on a little lump of land following the earthquakes have reportedly been saved.

Astonishing aerial footage of the two beef cows and a calf stuck on a patch of land measuring no more than 50metres across went around the world on Monday.

The farmer who wields the land has told Newshub the cows, which were part of a herd of 14, are now safe.

He said “a number of people” helped him dig a track with pick and shovel so they were able to rescue the trio.

“They despairingly needed water, cows don’t like living without water so that was the very first requirement, and I think one or two had lost calves in the earthquake so they were a bit distressed,” he said.

Pictured: Landslide in Kaikoura

This pic shows the landslide in Kaikoura is being widely collective on social media.

A enormous portion of the cliffs have fallen down onto the coast road into the town.

Locals and tourists being airlifted out of Kaikoura

Fresh Zealand emergency services and defence personnel began evacuating hundreds of tourists and residents from the South Island town of Kaikoura on Tuesday, a day after a powerful earthquake hit the region, killing two people.

The 7.8-magnitude tremor struck just after midnight on Sunday, ruining farm homesteads, sending glass and masonry toppling from high rises in the capital, Wellington, and cutting road and rail links via the northeast of the ruggedly beautiful South Island.

Kaikoura, a popular base for whale-watching about ninety miles northeast of Christchurch and near the epicentre, was entirely cut off by massive landslips. Four large defence force helicopters were flying in to the town on Tuesday morning and the Navy’s multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury was heading to the area, Air Commander Darryn Webb, the acting commander of Fresh Zealand joint compels, told TVNZ.

“The priority today is the airlift operation,” he said.

“We’re looking to do as many flights as we can out of Kaikoura today . around about four flights, to stir approximately two hundred of those tourists and residents south.”

Cracking: Reports of a landslide in Wellington

Reports are emerging of a landslide in Wellington.

The Fresh Zealand Herald reports that houses are under threat on Lansdown Terrace.

The city has suffered flooding as a result of torrential rain following the earthquakes.

‘We cannot rule out the possibility of a larger earthquake’

Experts have warned that the latest seismic activities mean another even larger earthquake is still possible.

GeoNet and GNS’s Geohazards Monitoring head Ken Gledhill spoke to Radio Fresh Zealand today.

Referring to the number of aftershocks felt, he said: “The overall numbers are trending down, at about the rate we’d expect, so that’s the good news at the moment.

“I suppose you’ve already mentioned what the potential bad news is – there’s still the potential of a larger earthquake and we just cannot rule that out.”

He also suggested Fresh Zealanders may have to prepare for more earthquakes in the future.

Mr Gledhill added: “There’s been periods in history – and most of us grew up in the period of fifty years or so when there was hardly any large earthquakes – our parents grew up when there was a lot of large earthquakes in through the ‘20s and ‘40s.”

Evacuations proceed

Tourists proceed to be evacuated from Kaikoura today.

More than eight hundred sixty aftershocks hit the region.

Furious winds to batter nation

The puny nation is readying itself for expected gale-force winds.

The capital, Wellington, could also be hit with up to 60mm of rain in just a few hours.

Harm to homes

Many homes have been severely bruised in the quake.

Incredible harm

This startling picture shows just some of the harm to hit the little nation.

Movie: Aftershock hits golf store

This dramatic CCTV footage shows the moment an aftershock hit a golf store.

The 7.8-magnitude quake struck Fresh Zealand shortly after midnight on Sunday, claiming at least two lives.

In the footage, an aftershock can be seen striking a golf shop in Wellington, knocking over rows of products.

‘Utter devastation’ – PM

Prime Minister John Key has described the aftermath of the killer quake as ‘utter devastation’, it is reported.

Mr Key spoke to Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee after flying over the coastal town of Kaikoura

He told him: “It’s just utter devastation, I just don’t know . that’s months of work,” according to Brownlee’s Twitter account.

HMNZS Canterbury sets sail

This movie shows the HMNZS Canterbury departing for Kaikoura to evacuate appalled tourists and residents.

It will take the enormous ship at least eighteen hours to reach the town, which is home around Two,000 people.

Once there, it will rescue hundreds of holidaymakers and locals, and supply supplies.

The footage of the vessel’s departure was posted on the NZ Defence Force’s Facebook page.

Mysterious ‘earthquake lights’ illuminated skies during tremor

In one of the oddest sightings to emerge since the initial earthquake – Reuters reports that the skies over Fresh Zealand were mysteriously lit up in various colours just as it struck.

Footage of the unusual sky was posted on YouTube and showcased what appeared to be bright flashes “during the peak of the jiggling” – according to movie uploader Zachary Bell.

It backs up other movie previously circulated on social media which reportedly displayed similar flashes lighting up the sky over Wellington at the same time.

Fresh Zealand earthquake: Recap after seven

Fresh Zealand earthquake: Recap after 7.8 magnitude quake killed two and more than one thousand six hundred aftershocks caused ‘utter devastation’

Tourists were evacuated from coastal town Kaikoura which has been badly hit by the series of large tremors

Updated 13:52, fifteen NOV 2016