New Zealand earthquake: UK tour operators check on British tourists
There were reports that some hotels in the city had been badly damaged, while Christchurch airport was shut until at least early evening UK time today.
Devastation: There are fears that the quake has left up to 300 deadUp to 300 people are feared dead after the earthquake brought down buildings in the centre of the city.The quake struck just as local residents were breaking for lunch (just after midnight UK time).Measuring 6.3 on the Richter Scale, it caused far more destruction than the more powerful quake that struck before dawn on a weekend last September.
When the earthquake struck its epicentre, Lyttelton, at a depth of 5km, it knocked out the city's emergency 111 service and 80 per cent of the city's power.Laurence Staig from Cambridge is one of a number of Britons desperately calling New Zealand for news of missing relatives.
He has been unable to contact his brother Rick Keeling, 71, a retired businessman, who lives in Christchurch.
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He said: 'I'm obviously concerned about him as I can't get in touch.
'He lives in an area that was badly affected in the quake last September.
'When that hit, the house next door to his was completely destroyed.'
Long-haul specialist holiday company Page & Moy, which includes Christchurch in its New Zealand itineraries, was assessing future trips to the city.
Among airlines serving the UK affected by the Christchurch airport closure were Air New Zealan! d and Si ngapore Airlines.
Britons travelling to New Zealand with Air New Zealand fly to Auckland and can then get a connecting flight to Christchurch.
Singapore Airlines operates flights from London to Christchurch via Singapore.
An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said today: 'Christchurch airport is shut but we plan to start domestic services again from tonight, UK time.'
Karen Rodwell, on a flight from Hamilton in New Zealand to Christchurch, today told how her plane landed just as the earthquake rocked the city.
She said: 'The plane really lurched and we thought it was a bit of a lopsided landing.
'Then the pilot came on and told us we'd landed as the earthquake struck.'
Mrs Rodwell said passengers were held on board for an hour and a half after the quake, and felt a strong aftershock during that time.
Another passenger on the plane, Ms Robbyn Story, told The Edge radio station what it was like as the plane landed.
She went on: 'It was creepy as the plane came down, you could see all the windows in the terminal just rolling, and all the shuttles that go out to the plane were in the tarmac just rolling.
'Somebody shouted out: "Oh my god, it's an earthquake!" We came down and couldn't get out, and there was a big shake while we were still in the plane. Then we sat there for an hour.'
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