Christchurch Earthquake

[Jack Ranga]

Just watching the breaking news, absolutely devastating.

Hope that there is minimal loss of life over there, thoughts are with you kiwis.

[1a sound asleep]

CHC aiport website is currently showing the airport is closed. Rumours that other airports may also be closed at this time. Hope there are no serious injuries

[compressor stall]

Left there yesterday, thankfully. Fatalities confirmed. :(

Interesting, just checked the NOTAMs and nothing about the closure.

[remoak]

Looks like there will be a lot of fatalities... reports of buses being crushed by falling buildings. Nasty.

[empacher48]

Yeah, the airport is closed with all flights cancelled or diverted.. Media reporting on one website that the tower collapsed, the last time I looked at the webcam it was fine.

Reports of bodies being pulled out of building debris. Luckily my partner and 3 month old son are ok, both at her work, well out of the CBD.

[Jack Ranga]

Hope there are no serious injuries

Unfortunately they couldn't censor some of the images that went to air. It doesn't look good...............

[Comoman]

news.com.au got live streaming of Sky News.

Looks dreadful - very sad.

[Weekend_Warrior]

Sky news just reported that flights across NZ are cancelled. Maybe the airways centre in Chch is munted . Can anyone confirm?

[1a sound asleep]

Radar centre in Christchurch is evacuated. No IFR departures nationwide at the moment

[CazbahKid]

Best wishes go out to everyone over there.

[dudduddud]

Pic from the NZ Herald. Reporting

Latest Updates: Latest updates : Christchurch earthquake (+ map) - National - NZ Herald News (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10707997)

Story: Christchurch earthquake: 'Dead bodies lying around' - National - NZ Herald News (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10708013)

http://i51.tinypic.com/rszn1v.png
I'm guessing from the list of destinations that this pic was taken in Auckland.

[kirsttodd]

john key just said on tv3 he has been told 65 dead so far. not good.

[teresa green]

Hope all airline crews are safe and well, some stay in the middle of the city. A big worry for their families. All the best Kiwis, we are thinking of you.

[kiwiscanfly15]

I just want to say a massive thank you to all Australians, your support is really appreciated. i know on the sports field or at the local watering hole we all like to give eachother grief (6/seex/sux/) sheep shaggers etc) but at the end of the day when s*** hits the fan our bigger brothers from Australia are always the first to offer support and help, its very humbling to see. so thank you everyone.

[Jack Ranga]

Kiwi,

It's all over the media here, there's more help coming than you're aware of! From what I've seen on the media here you lot should be proud, people throwing themselves into danger to help their mates :ok: Rudd has just said whatever assistance you want you'll get.

[Konev]

ZQN bit of a parking lot at the moment. number of A320s 737s and ATRs on the apron. normally only 1 atr stays the night.

[rjtjrt]

All Australians stand appalled by what has happened and we want to do anything we can to help.
NZ and Australia are family and always will be.

[RadioSaigon]

Surely this tragic event must illustrate to the responsible government bodies the utter lunacy of centralised ATC and Emergency Response facilities. All ATC/aircraft movements shut down for North of 2hrs in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake; the emergency 111 phone system for the nation basically taken down at the same time. Both based -did you guess it?- in NZCH. Just one event cripples two of the major response facilities simultaneously.

Time to re-examine poor decisions taken in the past and decentralise essential services. A distributed response base has a far better chance of maintaining effective essential services than a centralised one.

[Unixman]

I am as appalled as if this had happened here in the UK. Too many links with Kiwiland....

[dudduddud]

Plane lands as quake strikes runway | Stuff.co.nz (http://www.stuff.co.nz/4689348/Plane-lands-as-quake-strikes-runway)

[Worrals in the wilds]

Second that rjtjrt. Anything you need that we can provide.

[puff]

Any word if any crews effected ? I'd say Emirates and Singapore would have had overnighting crews - most CBD hotels effected and now closed. JQ also have a fairly decent base of crew there too, hope they are all safe !

[tinpis]

Apart from the odd report of fridges emptying out was suburbia pretty well spared?
I can imagine weather board clad timber framed ground level houses would fare movement pretty well?

[Mr & Mrs Rocketboots]

Some of the hill suburbs have had a lot of damage, which they escaped last time, due to location of epicentre. Footage on YouTube of large chunks of a hillside collapsing on Sumner RSA. Again, the liquefaction will be widespread.
Guess more will be shown as the media move out of the CDB into the suburbs.

[Matariki]

The suburbs from what I've seen (Riccarton/Ilam/around the uni) are a bit better off. Chimneys totally down, cracks, that kind of thing, but nothing, nothing like the centre city.

A couple of buildings near me partially came down, one fatally so, and a lot of glass down.

Seeing the Cathedral is heartbreaking.

[empacher48]

I see Air NZ have stepped up to the plate, with domestic, trans-tasman and pacific island fares to and from Christchurch for sale at NZ$50 plus taxes, and long haul flights available for NZ$400, seats available. The trans tasman and long haul fares are for those overseas who have immediate family travelling to and from Christchurch.

Christchurch Earthquake Update - Important Information - AirNewZealand - New Zealand Site (http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/christchurch-earthquake-update)

The damage to see is heartbreaking, and my thoughts go out to all those who have not yet been able to get in touch with loved ones.

[Jack Ranga]

This in contrast to the alleged profiteering during the Queensland cyclone.

[Sqwark2000]

the emergency 111 phone system for the nation basically taken down at the same time. Both based -did you guess it?- in NZCH. Just one event cripples two of the major response facilities simultaneously.


The 111 phone system is not centralised in CH. There are 3 111 centres in NZ - AKL,WLG & CHC. The CHC centre was evacuated and calls diverted to AKL & WLG.

Airways will have to think about having a second radar centre now though. The risk for CHCH earthquakes will continue for years to come. There is a backup centre in AKL I believe, but has limited capabilities and takes a few hours to activate. So I've heard.

[zkjaws]

Sqwark2000

Not sure what a second radar centre would do.
True the unaffected centre would still be able to provide a near normal service to it's airspace. But that might be only a small proprotion of NZ.

The reality is that the airspace managed by a radar centre affected by an event like this is still only going to get a very limited service (TIBA I believe) while it's out of action. The other centre won't have the ability to provide anything like a normal service.
And the thought of moving staff to man the back up consoles at the unaffected centre is flawed in a number of ways (eg staff unable or unwilling to move)

The short closure you had in NZ in the last few days is nothing compared to what has been experienced elsewhere - the one and only centre (and it's airspace the size of NZ) in the Arabian Gulf bottle neck being closed for 2-3 days because of a cyclone (water leaking onto the electrics).

The little news I've heard from back home includes:

one of our work mates won't be returning to the tower (RIP Jilly)
friends and family members are among the list of missing
the training centre/admin building has been red stickered
members of the staff are manning volunteer services (fire & rescue, etc) in their off duty timeTo those in NZCH - keep up the good work, our thoughts are with you.
Ireland has already sent reinforcements - one arrived just before the quake, two more are enroute :-)

[henry crun]

zkjaws: At present all the various primary and secondary radars in the north and south islands are fed into Christchurch centre.

If a secondary standby centre was established at say Auckland, staffing issues aside, why would it not be possible to link to all that info currently being fed into Christchurch ?

[mickjoebill]

A self motivated group, calling themselves The Rangiora Express are using a donated R44 to ferry food and water to a few particular poorer, outer suburbs, with poor road connections that have yet to receive much government support and are so really hurting. They are also organising ground transport, but many roads are impassable.


If ppruners you can help in any way call Brendan +61 (0)21 054 0762

More details on the Rangiora Express FacePPRuNe page;

The Rangiora Earthquake Express | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rangiora-Earthquake-Express/153841938005848)


The album says it all, landing in a modern suburb and being surrounded by 20 residents needing the most basic of essentials, water. (and pizza!)
The Rangiora Earthquake Express's Photos - Wall Photos | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=154045354652173&set=pu.153841938005848&theater)

Quote from yesterday

We've been very busy today Helicoptering in food and water to grief stricken areas of CHCH. We've put down and distributed 5 loads to Bexley and Aranui which are without power, water or sewerage. They have not received any other assistance to date! These areas are in desperate need. Please continue to donate items to the Rangiora collection centre - St Josephs Church, Victoria St. Thank you!

Mickjoebill

[FlyingKiwi_73]

Theres allot of chopper actvity where i live, good to see alot of the private fleet is being mobilised, us fixed wing guys are doing our bit. have heard the MAC is ferrying some people about (as they did last year).

I have lost a member of my extended family too, NZ is a small place everyone knows somebody thats missing or dead.

Its amazing the support so far,.. the Cook Straight Ferries are full of vans loaded with supplies, my company sent down 3 last night.

[zkjaws]

henry crun

When Airways consolidated the radar centres down to Christchurch they did in fact set up what you are suggesting.

The computers running the system are split between Auckland and Christchurch - one will be the operational, the other the back up, and they swap regularly
All comm and radar feeds are duplicated, if not triplicated, with totally independent pathways.
One or other centre could be totally flattened and the other would still have total radar and radio coverage of the country.

Remember controllers are rated for specific sectors (just like pilots are for specific aircraft), so staffing is the major issue - it's not just a matter of finding a spare controller and plugging him/her into a position. Anyone not rated on the sector wouldn't be able to do more than issue the approprate QNH etc.

I'm told that the Christchurch centre was out of service for only a couple of hours - not a bad effort really (remember the 2-3 days that a bit water caused in the Middle East)

Well done to the Rangiora Express and others that are helping inbetween attending their day job