MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

NZ quake kills 65; 100 people trapped in the rubble; major glacier cracks

Devastating scenes of Christchurch (Photo EFE)

More than 100 people are believed to be trapped in rubble after a deadly 6.3-magnitude earthquake rocked the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch on Tuesday, killing at least 65 people.

As many as a dozen visiting Japanese students were among those trapped as darkness and drizzling rain fell Tuesday night.

Thousands crammed into evacuation centers as rescue crews with sniffer dogs fanned out across the city in search of survivors, some of whom were able to send text messages or make phone calls from under the wreckage.

The quake caused 30 million tons of ice to break off Tasman glacier. It's the biggest glacier in New Zealand, about 200 kilometers from Christchurch.

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker declared a state of emergency and ordered people to evacuate the city centre following the quake.

“The government is willing to throw everything it can in the rescue effort,” Deputy Prime Minister Bill English said. “Time is going to be of essence.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key told reporters in Christchurch that the death toll was expected to rise. ”It is a just a scene of utter devastation,“ Key told TV One News. ”This may be New Zealand's darkest day.“

Earlier, a police statement said ”multiple fatalities have been reported at several locations in the central city, including two buses crushed by falling buildings.

“Other reports include multiple building collapses, fires in buildings in the central [city] and persons reported trapped in buildings,” the statement said.

Christchurch's daily newspaper, the Press, reported on its website that witnesses said screams could be heard coming from the Pyne Gould Business building, where as many as 30 people were feared trapped.

The quake first hit at 12.51 p.m. local time, according to New Zealand's GNS Science. It was centered at Lyttelton, N.Z., southeast of Christchurch, at a depth of five kilometers.

Aftershocks were continuing, the New Zealand Herald reported. They included a 5.7-magnitude aftershock at 1:04 p.m. at a depth of six kilometers, 10 kilometers south of Christchurch.

The city's airport was closed after the flight tower collapsed, and a major tunnel was shut. Christchurch Hospital remained open but was damaged, the Press reported.
Power was believed to be out in 80% of the city.