We are devastated for our countrymen who were struck by a very shallow, yet very destructive, 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand this afternoon. While it may have been smaller than September’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake, all reports show that this one was far worse in terms of its violence and impact.
Today many people have lost their lives, TV3 news tonight reports “at least 65 are confirmed dead” and the number is not expected to stop there; many more have been injured. Right now people remain trapped in the rubble and the city is out of ambulances and emergency services are hard to get hold of.
There has been widespread damage to buildings and property. The Christchurch Cathedral which has stood in the city centre for so long is crumbling – people were apparently in the spire at the time it crumbled and fell. They are not expected to have survived.
The hospital has been evacuated, the airport is closed, the roads are badly damaged, water mains and waste pipes have broken, the power is out. The military is driving people out of the central city and an international search and rescue team has been called in to New Zealand right now to help with the rescue efforts.
Because of the time of day it hit, 12;51pm, families were separated, spread among work, school, daycare, home. For locals wanting to get news – the phones are down, the New Zealand internet news sites are down as their servers are being overloaded; the NZ Herald site at one point was getting 1 million hits per minute.
Television footage is showing a city in shock, live rescues in progress with no time to edit the brutal truth of what that kind of force can do to people. Some of the footage…
As with last September’s Christchurch earthquake, Matt and I are in receipt of phone calls, emails and messages from our overseas friends and families checking to see if we are ok. Whilst this earthquake was widely felt throughout New Zealand – as far north as Hamilton – Matt and I in Auckland were too far away from it to feel it. The earthquake’s epicentre was 5km away from Lyttleton, Christchurch.
We have heard from some of our Christchurch friends – they are ok, very shaken but alive. There are others we have not heard from, they are in our prayers.
Amidst the carnage, panic and devastation on TV that is seeing the anchormen and women reduced to tears as they report live, the steady work of all those who are able to serve, rescue and aid others is something to behold. The community of Christchurch coming together to move debris and get the injured to safety makes me proud to be a kiwi.
Our prayers are with the victims, with those waiting for news, with those working hard to help others – with everyone in Christchurch and everyone who has loved ones in Christchurch. It is so very hard to believe this is happening in New Zealand.
New Zealand News Sites:
New Zealand Herald
Stuff
Television New Zealand
TV3
Donations for the Victims of the Christchurch Earthquake:
Red Cross
Salvation Army
ANZ – ANZ have pledged $1,000,000.00
Christchurch City Mission
Christchurch Person Finder:
Person Finder: Christchurch Earthquake, February 2011
Please spread the link to the Christchurch person finder far and wide. Kiwis, if you want to do something useful give blood.
A common objection to belief in the God of the Bible is that a good, kind, and loving deity would never command the wholesale slaughter of nations. In the tradition of his popular Is God a Moral Monster?, Paul Copan teams up with Matthew Flannagan to tackle some of the most confusing and uncomfortable passages of Scripture. Together they help the Christian and nonbeliever alike understand the biblical, theological, philosophical, and ethical implications of Old Testament warfare passages.
Hail Mary Full of Grace the Lord is with Thee, Blessed Art Thou Amongst Women and Blessed is the Fruit of thy Womb Jesus, Holy Mary MOther Of God Pray For Us Sinners Now and at the Hour of our Death Amen. Lord we ask your mercy for the people of Christ Church, peace and comfort be among your children there
In Jesus Name
Amen
The New Zealand Blood Service says it has enough blood stocks available to help victims of Christchurch’s earthquake.
The magnitude 6.3 quake and aftershocks hit Canterbury this afternoon, causing widespread damage and sparking reports of injuries and multiple deaths.
The service said it did not need any more blood donors at the stage despite some media reports.
However, it was monitoring the situation very closely and would provide an update if the situation changed.
Our prayers are with all the families in New Zealand and all the families around the world with friends and relatives in NZ.
May our Lord and God, Jesus Christ strengthen you all, that you may find hope, peace and joy in Him in this darkest times for the Glory of God our Father.
In Christ Jesus,
Prayers from Denmark
This is awful news. Be safe kiwis.
Earthquakes are very odd natural disasters. Harmless if you are out on open ground and lethal if you are occupying anything but the most stable enclosed structure.
Thought I’d pop in to say that I hope you and yours are safe and well.
[…] MandM: Prayers for the victims of the Christchurch Earthquake […]
From Christchurch – thanks for your thoughts and prayers. They are appreciated.
I was shocked and saddened by the news of the earthquake. I was last in Christchurch just over a year ago, and visited Cathedral Square. My heart goes out to the people of New Zealand at this difficult time..
Other ways that Kiwis can help are on these two sites:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Chch-earthquake-support
http://www.quakeescape.org.nz/