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Mayor: Quake hit city 'like an iceberg'NZ HeraldChristchurch Mayor Bob Parker is thankful there has been no loss of life but there had been considerable damage across the city and outlying areas.
Christchurch has been left devastated after a massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck 30km west of the city at 4.35am this morning.
The quake was at a depth of 33km and was centred near Darfield, and has left large parts of the area without power, water or telephones.
Mr Parker said he did not want to overstate the level of damage "but I think it's like an iceberg. There is, in a sense, below the visible line significant structural damage."
"There would not be a house or a family in our city that has not in some way had damage done to their person and or their property," Mr Parker said.
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Electricity was being slowly restored to the city but there were still concerns about the situation with water and waste water.
Mr Parker said the inner city was being closed down, city residents are being asked to save water and not flush the toilet, not to go to "rubbernecking", and check on their neighbours.
Mr Parker said the worst problems seem to be centred in the city's eastern suburbs and rural areas in outlying Christchurch.
State of emergency
Civil Defence has declared a state of emergency around 10am this morning.
New Brighton and other seaside areas are bracing for possible evacuation.
Prime Minister John Key is travelling to the area.
Christchurch Hospital inundated
Christchurch Hospital reports two men have been seriously injured by the earthquake.
One man in his 50s is in a serious condition in intensive care at Christchurch Hospital after a chimney collapsed on him.
Another man, also in his 50s, was seriously injured by falling glass.
The main Christchurch Hospital is being inundated by residents arriving with broken limbs, bruises and cuts.
A spokeswoman, Michelle Hider, asked residents with minor injuries to go to 24-hour surgeries for treatment rather than the hospital.
Christchurch Airport closed
All flights to Christchurch have been cancelled until at least midday.
Buildings, roads devastated across Christchurch
Street surfaces have risen up into a peak in the middle of a Christchurch road, while craters in the road have filled with water from ruptured mains. People in vehicles are trying to avoid them.
Among the affected streets are Hills Rd in Shirley and others in the suburb of St Albans.
In other areas roads have been blocked by debris after several buildings collapsed onto the streets, leaving their interiors visible and the central city resembling a war zone.
Large groups of onlookers have gathered to survey the damage and take pictures with their cameras and mobile phones.
Damaged buildings tend to be brick buildings. Lots of areas where bricks have fallen have been cordoned off.
Several large aftershocks have already struck the region, and wardens dressed in high-visibility gear are asking people to stay well clear of buildings because of the high risk of further collapses.
Traffic lights are still not working in several places around the central city, creating gridlock as the traffic flow increases.
Mayor's advice for people affected by the quake
Mayor Bob Parker has just warned residents to conserve water after fears the water infrastructure of Christchurch may have been affected by the 7.1 magnitude quake.
Mr Parker has warned residents not to flush the toilet and to conserve water. There are fears the sewerage system may have been damaged.
Engineers are currently checking the city's priority infrastructure.
Mr Parker told Newstalk ZB that the morning had been "pretty traumatic."
He said that people were being taken to Christchurch Hospital for emergency treatment, and he although he had not heard any reports of serious injuries, he "wouldn't surprise me if there were some."
Mr Parker urged Cantabrians affected by the earthquake to check on their neighbours to ensure they were safe.
A state of emergency has not yet been declared, he said, although Civil Defence has already activated the National Crisis Management centre in Wellington.
What to do if you're in Christchurch:
All Christchurch Hospitals are operational, though people are asked to only come into hospital if it is an emergency.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said no destructive widespread tsunami threat existed based on historical earthquake and tsunami data. However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generated local tsunamis that could be destructive along coasts located within 100km of the earthquake epicentre, it said.
Civil Defence asked people to assess their home or workplace for damage; look for and extinguish small fires if safe to do so; and not overflow the phone lines with non-emergency calls. Check on your elderly neighbours.
Thoughts with people there. And hope that Sharky. is alright.
I'll post up a summary of what happened when I get my computer on - it was pretty terrifying.
) 
Glad to hear/read that your OK from the pictures I've seen it looks like it's time to get a SUV so you can drive on the roads I bet that all them "ricer" cars will be sitting still for a while most here in the states can hardly get out of shopping parking lots because of bottoming out.
