New Zealand earthquake damage 'could cost billions' as pictures show devastation

New Zealand’s prime minister visited the scene after a powerful earthquake rocked the country, triggering landslides and a small tsunami and leaving two people dead. Strong aftershocks continued to shake the country on Monday, rattling the nerves of exhausted residents, many of whom had spent a sleepless night huddled outside after fleeing to higher ground to avoid the tsunami waves. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the South Island just after midnight on Sunday in a mostly rural area dotted with small towns. Near the epicentre, it opened up snaking fissures in roads and sparked landslides. But New Zealand was largely spared the devastation it saw five years ago when a deadly earthquake struck the same region. Sunday’s quake caused damage in Wellington, the capital, more than 120 miles to the north. It was also strongly felt to the south in the city of Christchurch, which was devastated by an earthquake in 2011 that killed 185 people. Residents said the shaking went on for about three minutes. Police said one person died in the small coastal town of Kaikoura and another in Mt Lyford, a nearby ski resort. Several other people had reportedly suffered minor injuries in Kaikoura, police spokeswoman Rachel Purdom said. Prime Minister John Key flew over the destruction in Kaikoura by helicopter on Monday afternoon, as aftershocks kicked up dust from the landslides below. Cars could be seen lying on their sides and parts of the road were clearly impassable. | Metro News via IFTTT

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