US warship diverts to help with quake evacuation

Three other helicopters joined on Tuesday and evacuated 85 Chinese tourists, including those from Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Most tourists had continued their journeys, but about 130 people were being housed temporarily in Canterbury University’s student halls.

The Red Cross, which used defence force helicopters to bring in emergency generators, satellite communications and water bladders, said water in the town was running out.

“It is a matter of pride for us all that CANTERBURY has been able to assist the communities affected by the quake, since she was also at the forefront of disaster relief efforts when a massive quake struck Christchurch in 2011”.

The Prentice family is used to earthquakes.

Stranded tourists and residents have also been evacuated as part of a national relief effort following Monday’s 7.5 magnitude natural disaster.

But Dr Prentice said this one was like nothing else.

Brownlee said the revised magnitude does have an effect on the probabilities of forecast aftershocks, meaning they may be larger in magnitude for a longer period of time.

They say two babies were among those rescued Tuesday.

NZDF is continuing to inspect the inland route into Kaikoura from the south, through Waiau, to determine the condition of the road.

Rescue efforts after a devastating quake in New Zealand intensified Wednesday as a fleet of global warships began arriving in the disaster zone. “Just after midnight, about 23 hours ago there was a huge shake that lasted for about two minutes”, he recalled.

The New Zealand Navy has already sent two ships to Kaikoura and another two will be added to that effort.

An estimated 1,100 tourists were in Kaikoura, which is framed by snow-capped mountains on one side and the sea on the other, when the quake hit early Monday. One person died at a historic homestead that collapsed at Kaikoura, with another killed at a remote property north of Christchurch. Monday’s 7.5 magnitude natural disaster disrupted power and water supplies in Kaikoura and cut off land access to the town.

U.S., Australian and Canadian warships are helping the New Zealand military with an air and sea evacuation of the town’s stranded guests, who were fed lobster during their ordeal donated by the local Maori tribe.

Despite the delays, by the end of the day, 140 people, including two babies, had been evacuated. Several hundred people were airlifted out Tuesday as strong aftershocks continue to shake the region.

“We’re going to get as many people and belongings out as quickly as we can”, Webb said.

Key said one slip alone would have taken the road out for while and cost a lot to fix.

Meanwhile, the cleanup is continuing in Christchurch and the capital, Wellington.

For Christchurch residents, the ongoing shaking has brought up painful memories, but not panic.

They have about 660 sailors and four helicopters with them, and will be supporting the New Zealand Defence Force’s efforts in the region.

However, she found the motion was gentler, “like being on a ship”, than the jarring and violent movement of the Christchurch earthquakes she lived through.

Both women chose to stay during the Christchurch earthquakes, and were not reconsidering their decision.