新西蘭城市地震至少65人喪生
A massive earthquake has devastated the New Zealand city of Christchurch, toppling tall office buildings at the height of the workday and killing at least 65 people.
Fire and rescue crews said their resources were overwhelmed as they struggled to help the injured and reach more than 100 others believed to be trapped in the rubble. Helicopters were used to fight fires and rescue workers from the roofs of high-rise office towers as an evening drizzle complicated rescue efforts.
Prime Minister John Key, who rushed to the city from the capital, Wellington, said the death toll was liable to rise. He said, "We may be witnessing New Zealand's darkest day."
The 6.3-magnitude earthquake was the second in five months for the city, which came through a 7.1-magnitude quake in September without loss of life. But seismologists said this one struck closer to the city and much closer to the surface, making it far more intense.
新西蘭克賴斯特徹奇市發生強烈地震，造成嚴重破壞，一些高層辦公樓在人們上班時倒塌，導致至少65人死亡。
消防和救援人員說，他們在艱難的營救受傷的人以及據信被困在瓦礫下面的100多人，但是他們的資源不夠。當局出動直升機滅火，並且把在高層辦公樓屋頂上的工人營救下來。晚上下的一場小雨使營救努力變得更加複雜。
從首都惠靈頓趕到克賴斯特徹奇的新西蘭總理約翰.基說，死亡人數可能會增加。他說，“我們可能在見證新西蘭最悲慘的一天。”
這場里氏6.3級的地震是克賴斯特徹奇5個月來發生的第2次地震。去年9月，克賴斯特徹奇發生了一次7.1級的地震，沒有人員傷亡。但地震專家說，這次地震距離克賴斯特徹奇市更近，而且震中更接近地表，因此強度更大。
