Earthquake Hits New Zealand, Emergency Declared

CNN

San Francisco (Obama.net)- Natural disasters happen much more often in the world than we see reported in the news. However, over the course of the past decade, with events such as the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and the Earthquake in Haiti to name a few, it feels that more natural disasters of larger proportions are occurring at rates higher than ever.

And early Saturday morning in New Zealand, another natural disaster occurred. An earthquake measured at 7.0 hit Christchurch, New Zealand.

The city declared a state of emergency as buildings were damaged and destroyed, glass windows shattered, and even water mains burst leaving the city looking like a warzone.

Some sectors of the town were deemed to be too dangerous and thus were labeled off limits for the citizens of the city. In addition, other areas were ordered to be evacuated as they were also seen as unsafe. One of the areas evacuated was the airport.

A reported one hundred people were being helped with small injuries within hours of the earthquake, with another pair of citizens suffering much more serious injuries. No deaths have been reported as of yet. Most injuries have to do with cuts and being hit by falling debris.

Residents described the earthquake by saying the movement was so quick that it felt as though the foundation under the homes were rolling.

Furthermore, power outages were reported in northwestern Christchurch. In other parts of the city, the water systems, as well as the sewage systems, were also damaged. The infrastructure was also affected by the quake, leaving many roads highly damaged.

While there was some looting reported, the police were able to put an end to the illegal activity quickly.

The city of 386,000 people also felt an aftershock measured at 5.7 within twenty minutes of the initial 7.0 earthquake.

The earthquake hit seven and a half miles deep into New Zealand. The likelihood of a tsunami stemming from the earthquake is minimal according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

As the situation progresses, the hope for New Zealanders is that the death toll remains at zero and that no more injured people are found. In addition, the people of Christchurch, New Zealand are also hoping that the damage is not too costly to repair and that the town will make a quick and full recovery from the incident.

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