Magnitude 5.8 earthquake strikes Christchurch as people evacuated and cliff collapses

Magnitude 5.8 earthquake strikes Christchurch as people evacuated and cliff collapses

By Michael Wilkinson, and agencies video by Claire Lomas. Source APTN / Instagram/kimber_chris / Paul Francis / Nathan Kennedy
8:28AM GMT 14 Feb 2016

Earthquake in New Zealand comes just eight days before anniversary of devastating 2011 quake which killed nearly 200 people

A strong 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Christchurch in New Zealand on Sunday, causing cliffs to collapse into the sea but no major damage to the city, which was devastated by a 2011 quake which killed nearly 200 people.

The epicentre of Sunday's quake on New Zealand's south island was 15 kms (9 miles) east of Christchurch and at a shallow depth of 15 km (9 miles), said the country's seismological body Geonet.

Geonet said there were more than 40 aftershocks.

_{Dust and debris rise above houses after a cliff collapsed on the Whitewash Head area}

The quake came eight days before the anniversary of the deadly 2011 quake that caused upwards of NZ$40 billion ($26.52 billion) of damage, causing much of the city to require a rebuild.

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Police said there were no reports of major damage or serious injuries, but people were evacuated from several buildings and there were reports of some liquefaction.

The Christchurch City Council said cliffs collapsed in several places along the surrounding coast, spreading large clouds of billowing dust across the sea and hills.

"Obviously with a 5.7 magnitude earthquake so close to the eastern coast of Christchurch its certainly been a big shock for the city, a set back in terms of people's confidence and feeling of security," said Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel.

"Our city is stronger than it was five years ago. There are going to be a lot of people out there feeling very vulnerable."

New Zealand's biggest quakes

October 16, 1848 - A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Marlborough, at the top of the South Island, killing three people.

January 13, 1855 - An earthquake measuring 8.2 on the open-ended Richter scale hit Wellington, lifting land levels by up to three metres and killing four settlers and an unspecified number of indigenous Maori.

June 17, 1929 - A 7.8 quake struck in the top of the South Island, killing 17 people.

February 3, 1931 - A 7.8 quake hit Napier, Hawke's Bay, killing 256 people, the country's deadliest natural disaster. It also caused extensive damage.

March 5, 1934 - A 7.6 magnitude quake struck in the lower North Island and was felt as far away as Auckland in the north and Dunedin in the South Island. The quake caused widespread damage, but no one was killed.

June 24, 1942 - An earthquake measuring 7.2 hit Wairarapa, killing one person but causing extensive damage.

August 2, 1942 - Wairarapa, in the lower North Island, was struck with a 7.0 magnitude quake, just five weeks after it had been hit with a slightly stronger tremor.

May 24, 1968 - A 7.1 magnitude quake hit a sparsely populated area around the town of Inangahua in the South Island, killing three people and caused widespread destruction. It was felt over much of the country.

March 2, 1987 - A 6.8 magnitude quake struck the Bay of Plenty region on the east coast of the North Island. The shallow quake caused widespread damage to small towns but there were no casualties.

December 20, 2007 - A 6.8 magnitude quake hit the North Island city of Gisborne. It caused no casualties.

July 16, 2009 - A 7.8 earthquake struck the remote southwest Fiordland region of New Zealand's South Island, causing a small tsunami. It caused only slight damage to buildings.

September 4, 2010 - A 7.1 magnitude shake struck Christchurch, causing an estimated NZ$4 billion in damage, making it the most destructive quake since 1931. There were no deaths and only two serious injuries.

February 22, 2011 - A 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch, killing at least 65 people and caused widespread damage because it was shallow and close to the city centre.

Moment Magnitude Scale of earthquakes

Photo: Getty

The Moment Scale (MW) is the standard method by which all large earthquake magnitudes are estimated, based on the size of a fault, the distance it moved and the rigidity of the local bedrock.

It was developed in the 1970s to replace the Richter Scale, and is more accurate in describing powerful seismic activity. 

Less than 3 - Barely noticed by humans

4 - Minor earthquake

5 - Some property damage

6 - Moderate earthquake. The most powerful earthquake recorded in the UK had a magnitude of approximately 6.1 (Dogger Bank, 1931)

7 - Strong earthquake with loss of life

8 - Severe earthquake, huge loss of life and billions of pounds of property damage. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake measured 7.8

9 - Near total destruction, massive loss of life. The 2011 Japanese earthquake measured 9.0 on the Moment Magnitude Scale

10+ - The Moment Magnitude Scale has no upper limit, although the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, in Chile 1960, measured 9.5