No Filipino casualty in New Zealand quake

A February 22, 2011 press release by the Department of Foreign Affairs

The Philippine Embassy in Wellington reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that as of date there are no Filipinos injured in the earthquake that rocked Christchurch, New Zealand’s second largest city, on Tuesday.

The 6.3 magnitude earthquake had a focal depth of 5 kilometers and was 10 kilometers southwest of Christchurch.


The Embassy and the Philippine Honorary Consul in Christchurch, Zedric Peter Wait, are closely monitoring the situation at Christchurch.

Christchurch is home to an estimated 2, 000 Filipinos.

News reports stated damage to buildings and a city bridge made impassable. Power is currently down and telephone connections remain sporadic.

A 7.1 earthquake struck the city last September causing widespread damage but only minor injuries.

New Zealand, located between the Pacific and Indo-Australian tectonic plates, has an average of more than 14, 000 earthquakes a year, of which about 20 would normally top magnitude 5.0.

No comments:

Post a Comment