Earthquake in New Zealand

New Zealand's prime minister says at least 65 people have died after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch.

John Key said the toll was expected to rise further, adding: "We may be witnessing New Zealand's darkest day."

The tremor caused widespread damage as it occurred at a shallow depth of 5km (3.1 miles) during lunchtime when Christchurch was at its busiest.

The mayor of New Zealand's second-biggest city says 120 people have been rescued from the ruins.

The country's deadliest natural disaster in 80 years struck at 1251 (2351 GMT on Monday), 10km (6.2 miles) south-east of the city.

Screams from rubble

The damage is said to be far worse than after the 7.1-magnitude quake on 4 September, which left two people seriously injured but no fatalities.

“Start Quote

We've had friends in town call us and say there are just bodies lying around: lots of dead bodies outside shops just lying there just covered in bricks”

End Quote Jaydn Katene Christchurch resident

The epicentre of that quake, which occurred in the middle of the night, was further away from the city and deeper underground, but it still caused an estimated $3bn (£1.9bn) in damage.

TV pictures of the aftermath of Tuesday's disaster showed scores of collapsed buildings in the South Island city of nearly 400,000 people.

Shocked survivors could be seen wandering the rubble-strewn streets, which cracked open as the ground beneath was liquefied by the tremor.

Police said that the dead included people on two buses which were crushed by falling buildings.

Helicopters plucked survivors to safety from rooftops, and dumped water on fires.

Officials said up to 30 people were feared still trapped inside the razed Pyne Gould Guinness building, where screams have been heard from the ruins.

My opinion:

I think these disasters are always bad, of course. Normally we always see on TV that they only occur in poor countries, and we feel sorry for them, we see the catastrophe away from us. We see it as if it were a fiction that takes place far from here.

So I was surprised, like everyone else, when I saw the news of the earthquake in New Zealand. You see people like you, from a developed country, suffering like those of poor countries. And then you stop, think and realize that there is only one world and we all suffer because of the nature alike. It doesn't matter if your city is the most prepared of the world or the most modern and important: we are equal if a disaster like this occur.

I'm sad because of the disasters like this one, because is one thing we cannot control.

This is my opinion of this new.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12533291