Magnitude 6.3 earthquake hits New Zealand

Published: Tuesday February 22, 2011 MYT 8:33:00 AM
Updated: Tuesday February 22, 2011 MYT 11:53:56 AM
Magnitude 6.3 earthquake hits New Zealand (Updated)

If you are a Malaysian in Christchurch, tell us about the situation there. Email your story and pictures to talk2thestar@gmail.com

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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - A powerful earthquake struck New Zealand's already-bruised city of Christchurch on Tuesday, collapsing buildings, burying vehicles under debris and sending rescuers scrambling to help trapped people amid reports of multiple deaths.

The 6.3-magnitude quake struck the country's second-largest city on a busy weekday afternoon, in contrast to a major quake that damaged Christchurch last September but caused no deaths when it struck before dawn on a weekend. Police said there were reports of multiple fatalities from the latest temblor, while Prime Minister John Key told Parliament details of the deaths still were too shaky to confirm.
A car passing a destroyed building in Christchurch central business district. (AP Photo/Samual Sutherland

Witnesses said the quake destroyed the iconic stone Christchurch Cathedral, its spire toppled into a central city square, and police said there was a report of two buses crushed under falling buildings.

Live video footage showed sections of buildings collapsed into the streets, strewn with bricks and shattered concrete. Sidewalks and roads were cracked and split, and thousands of dazed, screaming and crying residents wandered through the streets as sirens blared.

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker declared a state of emergency and ordered people to evacuate the city center.

"Make no mistake - this is going to be a very black day for this shaken city," he said when asked about possible deaths. The airport was closed and Christchurch Hospital was evacuated. Power and telephone lines were knocked out, and pipes burst, flooding the streets with water. Some cars apparently parked on the street were buried under rubble.

Some people were stuck in office towers and firefighters climbed ladders to pluck people trapped on roofs to safety.
In this vide image broadcast on New Zealand's TV3, a pedestrian steps over a raised ground in Greymouth. (AP)

"The details we have are extremely sketchy," the prime minister told Parliament. "The worrying fear, of course, is that this earthquake has taken place at a time when people were going about their business - it is a very populated time, with people at work, children at school. Sadly, I cannot rule out that there have been fatalities.

"But we are aware of significant damage to buildings that had people in them at the time," he said.

Key said people were being told to get out of the city for their safety. New Zealand police said in a statement that there were reports of multiple fatalities in the city, including a report that two buses had been crushed by falling buildings. The police statement said there were other reports of fires burning.

Gary Moore said he and 19 other colleagues were trapped in their twelfth floor office after the stairwell collapsed in the quake. He did not know if people on other floors were trapped.

"We watched the cathedral collapse out our window while we were holding onto the walls," Moore said. "Every aftershock sends us rushing under the desks. It's very unnerving but we can clearly see there are other priorities out the window. There has been a lot of damage and I guess people are attending to that before they come and get us."

The multistory Pyne Gould Guinness Building, housing more than 200 workers, has collapsed and an unknown number of people are trapped inside. Television pictures showed rescuers, many of them office workers, dragging severely injured people from the rubble.

Many had blood streaming down their faces. Screams could be heard from those still trapped.

Parker, the mayor, said he was on the top floor of the city council building when the quake hit just before 1 p.m. local time, throwing him across the room.

"I got down onto the street and there were scenes of great confusion, a lot of very upset people," he said. "I know of people in our building who are injured and I've had some reports of serious injuries throughout the city."

The U.S. Geological Survey said the temblor was centered 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the city at a depth of 2.5 miles (4 kilometers). A 5.6-magnitude aftershock hit shortly after 7 miles (11 kilometers) east of the city at a depth of 3.7 miles (6 kilometers).

"When the shaking had stopped I looked out of the window, which gives a great view onto Christchurch, and there was just dust," said city councilman Barry Corbett, who was on one of the top floors of the city council building when the quake struck. "It was evident straight away that a lot of buildings had gone."

Christchurch has been hit by hundreds of aftershocks since a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Sept. 4, which wrecked hundreds of buildings, and caused an estimated 4 billion New Zealand dollars ($3 billion) in damage, but no deaths.

A strong aftershock in December caused further damage to buildings.The city was still rebuilding from those quakes when Tuesday's temblor hit.

The city is home to about 350,000 people and is considered a tourist center and gateway to the South Island.

New Zealand sits on the Pacific "ring of fire" - an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones stretching from Chile in South America through Alaska and down through the South Pacific. It records more than 14,000 earthquakes a year - but only about 150 are felt by residents, and fewer than 10 a year do any damage.

No Strings Attached

In this comedy , Emma(Natalie Portman) and Adam (Ashton Kutcher) are life-long friends who almost ruin everything by having sex one morning. It happened just so naturally. In order to protect their friendship , they make a pact to keep their relationship strictly " no strings attached"

"No strings" means no jealously , no expectation and don't fall in love.

I think they probably would have fallen in love even before they have sex or maybe they fall in love after having sex.

Sex is personal. In real life , you probably want no strings attached, but it is just impossible to achieve.

Adam's own father (Kevin Kline)has stolen away his former girlfriend(opehlia Lovibond) and he just couldn't accept this fact. He wanted to find a sex partner and to release his frustruction. He drank so much and past out. He managed to have sex with Emma in her room when he is sober.

There is one part showing Emma went to a party on the eve of her father’s funeral probably to recover from the pain of losing her father. In the Eastern societies, especially for those who subscribed to the Chinese way of thinking, this would not happen. People would be guarding the soul and would be near the coffin because the Chinese believed the soul is still around and they hoped that person inside the coffin might just come alive. Even the person cannot re-live, they would want to be on guard with the soul to pay their last respect.

《大馬部落》2011年2月电影观赏会

This is the life style of the new economy. I received an invitation to attend a preview thru the internet. I thought it was a joke but I went and it turned out to be a real one.

When I was a journalist, I also received this kind of invitation. It is normally sent to the Chief Report or the News editor and he or she will assign the reporter to attend so that he or she can write a review about the film.


《大馬部落》2011年2月电影观赏会

有了好吃好玩得节目，这次《大馬部落》邀请博客们看电影！

这次由UIP为大家在2011年2月份呈现两部电影，时间和地点如下：

1. No Strings Attached

Screening details:
Date: 16th Feb (Wed)
Time: 9.00pm
Venue: TGV Sunway Pyramid
Synopsis: refer to UIP

2. True Grit

Screening details:
Date: 23rd Feb (Wed)
Time: 9.00pm
Venue: GSC 1 Utama (New Wing)
Synopsis: refer to UIP

参加电影观赏会条款：
1. 所有的博客必须在各自的部落格写下电影观后感，同时提及此为《大馬部落》活动。
2. 凡出席者必须登记，陪同伴侣(1位）也是一样。
3. 无法出席者必须尽早通知，可电邮info@mybloggercon.com
出席者可以在现场向有关单位- United International Picture 领取你们的电影票，不要迟到哦～～


--
Regards,
Kae

Starfish--I make a difference for this one

I can make a difference for this one. You just do your part. Other will do their parts and everyone were to do its part, that will make a difference.

The "Best" of Teoh Beng Hock's Inquest

August 28, 2010

The video recording into Teoh Beng Hock's inquest on Aug 18 was not uploaded to the Attorney General Chambers website even after more than a week. Since day 1 of TBH's inquest each and every of the proceedings video are uploaded for public viewing. This particular video was "delayed" (would you believe it) due to technical error, so claimed the AGC.

However, after intense public pressure the video is finally online. This is probably the most ridiculous and hilarious court proceeding in history.

Citizen journalist, Lim Boo Seng, compiled selected "funny" scenes from the more than 3hrs full video recording.

Just watch how Razak "take on" renowned Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand. Court comedy at its best !!

Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip maintained that political aide Teoh Beng Hock did not commit suicide.

August 18, 2010

Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand on Wednesday maintained that political aide Teoh Beng Hock did not commit suicide. She said she came to that view after observing the second autopsy on Teoh Beng Hock's remains.

Ｍａｌａｙｓｉａ Ｍｙ Ｓｅｃｏｎｄ Ｈｏｍｅ

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