Mummy in the foothills

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12533291
I hope everyone is OK. there were some deaths

canigohomenow

We live on the North Island and have 3 weeks booked down on the South Island, before flying out from Christchurch on the 21st April. This is just terrible.

Englishmum

Sadly, there are multiple fatalities.

The Cathedral has been destroyed, 2 buses crushed, bodies carried out of the international youth hostel YHI, one office block has perhaps 200 people inside, it collapsed like a pancake:

live newsfeed:

http://www.news.com.au/world/quake-a...-1226009960218

Poor Kiwis. The earthquake, although not as powerful as last September's was closer to the city centre and it was a weekday lunchtime with lots of people out and about.

Poppy girl

So do I the over flow from my lot in Australia are in Christchurch

BEVS

Then I hope they are safe.

aviva

Feel so bad for them. We know here in California just how horrible these earthquakes can be. My house pretty much exploded in the Northridge one.

Woodpigeon

Feels like the whole of NZ is at a standstill and holding their breath as the events unfold.

I have heard from most of my kiwi friends living there and all of these are safe for now. The husband of one of them is in the fire service so he will be working flat out for days...

aviva

I hear the rescue folks with dogs here in the US are on standby.

celticx1973

living in Christchurch at the moment,the office I worked in is just across from the cathedral in the square. was sitting at my desk with a cup of tea when parts of the ceiling starting coming down. luckily my partner worked just around the corner from me so we found each other really quickly, she was really upset. We knew it was big when we saw that the cathedral had collapsed. It took us nearly an hour to walk home through cracked roads, burst pipes, buildings falling all around us and people crushed in buildings and cars.
had no water, power for 5 days (some still don't) and we are still having aftershocks. needles to say we have decided to head back to Scotland, its still going to takes us a year or more to get the money and get our house fixed before we can move. I know the job market in the UK is crap but after 2 major earthquakes in 6 months I have had enough.

Woodpigeon

celticx1973, have you popped into the NZ forum? There are lots of people there who will offer support of any sort, or just with whom you can share experiences. Not trying to make you change your mind or anything, just saying that there are people around who understand what you are going through if you need to talk or anything.