DFA: No Filipino casualties in New Zealand earthquake

MANILA, Philippines – No Filipinos were injured in the earthquake that rocked Christchurch, New Zealand today, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported.

Citing information from the Philippine Embassy in Wellington, the DFA said there are no Filipino casualties so far in the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that hit New Zealand’s second largest city.

The earthquake had a focal depth of 5 kilometers and was 10 kilometers southwest of Christchurch.

“The Embassy and the Philippine Honorary Consul in Christchurch, Zedric Peter Wait, are closely monitoring the situation at Christchurch,” the DFA said.

Christchurch is home to an estimated 2,000 Filipinos.

News reports stated damage to buildings and a city bridge made impassable. Power is currently down and telephone connections remain sporadic.

A 7.1 earthquake struck the city last September causing widespread damage but only minor injuries.

New Zealand, located between the Pacific and Indo-Australian tectonic plates, has an average of more than 14, 000 earthquakes a year, of which about 20 would normally top magnitude 5.0.

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New Zealand earthquake shuts down flights out of the country

New Zealand earthquake: Air traffic control operations for New Zealand are located in Christchurch, where the air traffic control building may have been damaged by Tuesday's earthquake. All international flights from New Zealand have been suspended.

Auckland Airport spokesman Richard Llewellyn told the New Zealand Herald that the nation's entire airways system had been shut down shortly after the earthquake hit Christchurch, damaging downtown office buildings and trapping workers. TVNZ reports fatalities from two buses crushed by falling buildings.

"For the moment planes are landing but no planes are departing,'' Mr. Llewellyn told NZPA.

"The national air traffic control centre is in Christchurch, and they are checking to make sure it is all OK, and until then the airways system has been closed."

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New Zealand city of Christchurch hit by 6.3 quake

Damaged buildings are seen in Christchurch, New Zealand after a strong, 6.3-magnitude earthquake rocked the southern city Photograph: AP

5.12am / 6.12pm NZ: The mayor of Christchurch, Bob Parker, has just given a press conference in which he has tried to prepare the city for a "major tragedy".

5.10am / 6.10pm: The New Zealand Herald has the most grim news so far, of "bodies lying in the streets" of Christchurch:

Residents are reporting bodies lying in the streets of Christchurch following this afternoon's magnitude 6.3 earthquake.

Police said fatalities had been reported at several locations and that two buses had been crushed by falling buildings. Christchurch mayor Bob Parker has declared a state of emergency.

Christchurch resident Jaydn Katene told the Herald: "We've had friends in town call us and say there are just bodies lying around; lots of dead bodies outside shops just lying there just covered in bricks."

5.03am / 6.03pm NZ: The Canterbury Television building has been one of the hardest hit in the centre of the city, with several bodies being taken out on stretchers and parts of the building on fire. Burst water mains in the area means that fire fighters are having to use monsoon buckets to put it out.

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New Zealand Earthquake 2011: Magnitude 6.3 Quake Shakes Christchurch, South Island (VIDEO)

A strong earthquake shook New Zealand on Tuesday afternoon, according to reports.

The 6.3-magnitude quake, per the USGS, shook New Zealand's South Island and its largest city of Christchurch at 12:50 p.m. local time.

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The New Zealand Herald reported that the quake's epicenter was Lyttelton with a depth of 5 kilometers, though it was felt as far away as Wellington and Dunedin per Twitter reports. It shook the Canterbury region, which has a population of approximately 500,000. Radio New Zealand reports "that some people have been killed."

Radio New Zealand also noted some of the damage from the quake in Christchurch: a church collapsed, a bridge is impassible, the airport has been shut down and the mayor is urging people not to drive due to road damage.

HuffPost reader Laura Campbell submitted these photos of the damage in Christchurch. A local New Zealand media outlet posted this photo of damage to Chirstchurch's historic Christchurch Cathedral.

Videos of the quake are beginning to surface on YouTube. One video (watch below) shows shaking, presumably an aftershock, and fallen rocks among the damage outside Christchurch.

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