The Christchurch earthquake death toll has risen to at least 75 as a national state of emergency was declared across New Zealand.
Strong aftershocks have continued to impact the city although the city’s international airport is open as people flock to escape.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is “urgently” seeking information about any UK casualties, but it is not yet known if any Britons are among the dead.
“We are in close touch with the local authorities and are urgently seeking information,” a spokesman said.
“The High Commission in Wellington have mobilised a consular response and stand ready to provide any consular assistance that is required.”
An estimated 300 people are still missing, although it is not known how many lay trapped under collapsed buildings and debris following the 6.3-magnitude earthquake.
Rescuers are concentrating their efforts on the ruins of around dozen buildings that collapsed or were badly damaged in the city centre, amid fears that more than 100 could still be buried.
Search and rescue teams are sifting through the rubble and a UK aid team has flown from London to New Zealand join the rescue mission.
Christchurch mayor Bob Parker confirmed 120 people were rescued from wrecked buildings as teams worked through the night, while more bodies were also recovered.
The authorities have imposed a night-time curfew in the worst-affected areas of the city.
Cunard Line’s flagship Queen Mary 2 was diverted from a scheduled call in Christchurch to Wellington in the wake of the devastating quake, the second to hit the city in five months.
The US Geological Survey said the centre of the quake was three miles from the city at a relatively shallow depth of 2.5 miles, meaning it caused more damage than the 7.1 magnitude tremor last September.
A 5.6-magnitude aftershock hit shortly after seven miles east of the city at a depth of 3.7 miles.
New Zealand prime minister John Key warned that the death toll may rise while making a statement on the plight of the city of 350,000 people. A police statement said: “Reports include multiple building collapses, fires in buildings in the central (city) and persons reported trapped in buildings.”
Christchurch has been hit by hundreds of aftershocks since the previous earthquake struck five months ago. That quake caused no deaths, but the city was still repairing the extensive damage.
Links
- Christchurch quake: live updates [New Zealand Herald]
- Big Pictures: Earthquake again hits Christchurch [Brisbane Times]
- In pictures: Earthquake rocks Christchurch [BBC]
- Christchurch ‘person finder’, powered by Google
- Google Crisis Response page for the Christchurch quake
Photos from the web
Quake map
Source: New Zealand Herald on Google Maps
View Christchurch earthquake: Map of the destruction in a larger map