Source - Fox News
Haiti again?A strong magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck close to New Zealand's second-largest city of Christchurch
early Saturday local time, wreaking havoc on older buildings and roads, damaging water pipes and power lines, and leading to an airport shutdown.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, however, despite the wide reports of collapsed buildings and severed power lines that revealed the power of the quake. The USGS did not warn of the threat of tsunamis, a common after-effect of an earthquake.
The quake hit at 4.35am Saturday morning local time, just 35 miles (55 km) northwest of Christchurch, on New Zealand's South Island, at a depth of seven miles. Initial reports placed it at 7.4 magnitude, though the USGS revised it down to 7.0. And a smaller, magnitude 5.7 aftershock struck 5 miles from the initial quake, the USGS reported.
Christchurch is New Zealand's second-largest city with a population of about 342,000 people, and New Zealand's National Radio reports the temblor shook thousands of residents awake.
Christchurch police reported road damage and power outages in parts of the city, with a series of sharp aftershocks rocking the area, the according to the Associated Press. In response, police officers cordoned off some streets where rubble was strewn about from the quake.
And above your tomb, the stars will belong to us.
