Chrstchurch, New Zealand Quake Tremors of 5.5 and 6

A series of powerful tremors shook the quake-prone New Zealand city of Christchurch today Monday 13th June, destroying buildings and sending boulders tumbling down hillsides. Some people suffered minor injuries. The tremors cut power to more than 54,000 homes, caused liquefaction (where solid ground turns to a murky liquid) and terrified residents in a city still struggling to recover from a quake on February 22 which killed 182 people and closed most of the central business district.

New Zealand's GNS Institute put the strongest of the quakes at a magnitude of 6.0 at 2.20 p.m. The United States Geological Survey also pegged it at 6.0 -- with the epicentre four miles east south east of the city at a depth of 5.6 miles.

New Zealand is a beautiful country, and many tourists visit each year. It is to be hoped that this series of tremors does not keep tourists away in the coming months. Many small family businesses rely on overseas tourists to make a living, so they need all the support that they can get.