New Zealand quake

[Hugh Potter]

has there been another? not seen the news today, my mother sent an email round to everyone to think of our family out there, thought it odd!

[Shane Drew]

huge one Hugh… 65 dead so far although they expect the numbers to rise significantly.

Hit home with our family as the motel we stayed in during our visit was in the thick of it. Very sad indeed. I have some sign colleagues that had shops in the disaster zone. It happened at 1pm, at the peak of activity in the city.

[Hugh Potter]

hi Shane,

Just had another email from family out there, pretty much saying what you’ve just said, 75 dead at the time of them sending it -according to their local news. seems very bad. they were having lunch in a pub in Rangiora when it happened, pretty heavy there though i don’t know where that is in relation to the epicenter, apparently 9 heavy aftershocks on 11hrs, one while writing the email.

these events seem to be happening more and more, I wonder if the mayans and their calendar knew something we didn’t / don’t 😕

[Shane Drew]

Rangiora is 25 klm’s north of ChCh mate. If they’d been south it may have been a different outcome.

Glad they are ok.

[Lorna Lu]

Thanks for your thoughts guys, I live only about 3km as the crow flies from the epicenter. We are safe thankfully. It has been a horrific experience, especially when we were all starting to feel settled again after the September quake.
My home is ruined inside but looks o.k structurally, we can’t live there because there is no power or water and it’s perched on the top of a hill so still pretty dangerous with some of the aftershocks being up near 5 on the oh get the hell out of here scale.
We don’t have any vases, ornaments, plates etc but that’s all replaceable & I do love shopping so that will give me something to look forward too.
We have had an influx of people from all over the world, they have come to help search for the missing. It is so sad, those people with family members still missing must be feeling so lost. We are hearing numbers of at least 300 that have not been heard from but rumors say it is many more. I pray they are wrong 300 is 300 to many.
Thanks again for your thoughts.

[Shane Drew]

Keep safe Lorna. I’ll pass your comments on to my colleagues locally who are concerned.

Thanks for the update.

[Mark Nihotte]

Hi All

This has been absolutely devastating – being such a small country, everyone knows people down there. Once we found out about it here in Nelson we spent the next few hours contacting family to check they were alright. As so many were doing the same the telecom systems (land and cell) were all overloaded so we didn’t get hold of the last one of our family until after 7pm – and couldn’t get thru to the mother in law at all (home trashed) but got the OK from my daughter in Brisbane via Facebook (got a few friends over 50 now signing up).

I have had calls today from friends from two sign shops and they and their families are safe but won’t be back at work anytime soon…they are all in shock and survival mode with no water. One of my brother in laws has just sent his wife and daughters up here to nelson – he is a council surveyor so will be very busy over the next few months. The whole disaster has been a bit surreal viewing from afar and not being able to help other than offer a safe house away from the quaking.

Check out this link for a bit of an idea of the extent of the devastation
http://www.news.com.au/world/christchur … 6010081646
It has been heartwarming to see the specialist help arriving from Australia, singapore, Japan, UK, USA and other countries.

This pic was taken by someone from the Christchurch hills just as the earthquake struck http://i.imgur.com/0vZbD.jpg

The death toll now stands at 98 with over 200 still missing (120 believed under the rubble of the worst collapse – the CTV building which unfortunately also caught fire meaning many who survived succumed to smoke)

View post on imgur.com

[Shane Drew]

Mark, so pleased your family are safe.

I knew you were in Nelson , but figured you probably had family in ChCh. Seems every kiwi I know has a connection to ChCh.

Take care mate.

Shane

[Jamie Wood]

My thoughts go to all those affected. It looks absolutely devastating.

[Mark Nihotte]

A quick up date as the toll rises

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?s … 0703913338

[Lynn Normington]

can’t imagine what it must be like for you guy’s ,keep safe

Lynn x