Christchurch New Zealand imposes curfew following earthquake
Posted on 04. Sep, 2010 by Leon Kennedy in Other
A curfew has been put into effect in Christchurch, New Zealand following a massive, 7.1 magnitude earthquake which destroyed buildings and roads but caused surprisingly few injuries. Residents of Christchurch were told they had to stay in their homes overnight Saturday; officials put the curfew in place to prevent people from going near damaged buildings which still had the potential to collapse in the event of aftershocks.
For those who weren’t fortunate enough to have their homes survive the quake to begin with, making the curfew difficult to impose in this case, temporary lodgings were set up at schools in suburban areas of the city. “We have had 95 people turning up, and out of that I think 60 persons are staying here overnight,” said emergency center supervisor Henry Jasewell.
Kurtis Ming, a correspondent for CBS affiliate KOVR, said the results of the quake were quite devastating. Given the fact that New Zealand, being one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, has fortified its buildings accordingly, the destruction appears even more dramatic.
According to Ming the city suffered “pretty severe damage – buildings that looked like bombs went off, with glass and bricks all throughout the street,” and he added that “A lot of buildings in this town are built in brick, and bricks don’t do so well in earthquakes.”
No related posts.