Buildings have been evacuated in Christchurch following a "scary" magnitude 5 aftershock that shook the city at 11.32am.Power is down in some areas, and cellphone networks were overloaded.Strongest since the big oneNBR correspondent in Christchu
Buildings have been evacuated in Christchurch following a "scary" magnitude 5 aftershock that shook the city at 11.32am.
Power is down in some areas, and cellphone networks were overloaded.
Strongest since the big one
NBR correspondent in Christchurch, Chris Hutching said the shake seemed to be the biggest since the 7.1 shake on September 4: "She was a real beauty".
The GNS recorded a 5 magnitude level quake but/ it was shallow and just 10km south of the city. There was an second smaller shake a few minutes later.
As a result it felt stronger than most of the recent ones. Light fittings swung wildly and the timber in wooden homes rumbled for what seemed like half a minute, Mr Hutching said.
People began ringing friends but city office workers cut short conversations saying they were evacuating buildings.
Some supermarkets are understood to have been hit again with goods spread over floors.
Builders at Christchurch Airport were among those evacuated.
Christchurch Hospital switched over to emergency backup power.
Fresh liquefaction and fallen chimneys have been reported in the suburb of Hoon Hay.
Falling mortar
Layton Duncan, a software developer, now something of a quake veteran - described the aftershock as "scary".
He told NBR his central city business incubator did not lose power or phone service, "but we've had bricks pop out around the rafters and a lot of mortar fallen out during it."
New York state of mind
Another quake vet, IT consultant and Yellow-carded entrepreneur-about-town Ben Kepes, told NBR "I was sitting in a teleconference with a bunch of software executives in New York
"I had a bit of explaining to do when I suddenly went a little silent. As is the norm however, it was more a case of look at others and chuckle rather than diving for the nearest safe location"
Mr Kepes said the New Yorkers were unfazed.
GNS has recorded four quakes around Christchurch this morning, including a 3.7 magnitude aftershock that hit soon after the magnitude 5, at 11.41am.
