photo: www.bharatchronicle.com

By Francesco Turso

Copy Editor

On Tuesday, February 22 at 12:51 pm, New Zealand was struck by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake near Christchurch. According to MSNBC, “the earthquake toppled buildings and killed dozens of people.” The U.S. sent a team that includes search-and-rescue staff from the Los Angeles county fire department.

According to a CBS report, 65 people have died in the quake and more than 100 people are thought to remain trapped. Some of those still trapped have been able to send messages and make phone calls from under the rubble. Prime minister John Key was quoted by CBS, “It is just a scene of utter devastation, we may well be witnessing New Zealand’s darkest day.” In addition, the quake has shaken a massive chunk of ice loose from the country’s biggest glacier.

This is the second earthquake to hit New Zealand in the past five months. According to the United States Geological Survey, on September 4, 2010 at 4:35 pm a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked New Zealand, 30 miles west of Christchurch. That quake, though much larger, it was deeper underground and at a more quiet time of the day, resulting in less casualties.