WILLINGTON: Hundreds of tourists and residents have been evacuated by New Zealand emergency services and defence personnel amid strong aftershocks, a day after a massive earthquake killed two people in Wellington. The 7.8 magnitude tremor hit right after midnight, devastating houses, cutting through road and rail links throughout the northeast of South Island.
As aftershocks continued to threaten the area, emergency services cordoned off streets and evacuated several buildings due to fears of them collapsing. A fire service official said a major structural beam had "snapped like a bone". Four defence force helicopters flew into the town, along with the Navy's multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury, said Air Commander Darryn Webb, commander of New Zealand joint forces. "We're looking to do as many flights as we can out of Kaikoura," he said. Around 400 of the 1,200 tourists stranded in the town were flown out, including 12 people who suffered several injuries. The Red Cross, which used defence force helicopters to bring out emergency generators, satellite communications, and water bladders, said the town was running out of water.
A 5.4 tremor was among the bigger aftershocks the region felt. China chartered four helicopters to evacuate 40 nationals, mostly elderly and children from Kaikoura. An official at the Chinese Consulate, Liu Lian said one Chinese national had been treated for a minor head injury in the hospital and around 60 others will be evacuated soon. "They have been trapped in Kaikoura for a couple of days, some are maybe scared, they have some mental stress," Liu said.
New Zealand's Finance Minister Bill English said the government was well positioned to deal with the expected repair bill of billions of dollars, with low debt and budget surpluses. "We are in about as good a shape as we could be to deal with this natural disaster," he said. New Zealand Police released a statement saying, "A number of aftershocks of a lesser magnitude have been experienced up and down the country. Police continue to remind members of the public to drop, cover, and hold during any subsequent earthquake. There is a tsunami warning to the east coast of the North and South Islands. Police advise the public in these areas to get to higher ground or go as far inland as possible. Wellington residents should avoid the beaches and waterways."
The earthquake comes five years after a 6.3 quake that struck Christchurch in 2011, destroying much of the downtown area and killing 185 people. It was said to be one of New Zealand's worst disasters, causing an estimated $25 billion in damage.
