 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Washington (AFP) Feb 22, 2011 The United States sent a search and rescue team to New Zealand on Tuesday to help in the aftermath of a powerful, deadly earthquake that hit the country's second city. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent a message of support to the people of New Zealand saying she was "deeply saddened by the news that a second major earthquake in six months has struck Christchurch." "The United States stands ready to provide assistance to the government of New Zealand and to the brave people of Christchurch," Clinton said in a statement, sending condolences on behalf of President Barack Obama. "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this terrible tragedy, especially the families of the victims, and with all the people of New Zealand," she added. The United States is sending a team of 70 specialized staff, some from the Los Angeles County fire department, with equipment "to make live rescues in even the most precarious situations," USAID said in a statement. "On behalf of the American people, I wish to convey our sympathy, thoughts and prayers to the people of New Zealand who have been affected by this devastating earthquake," said USAID administrator Rajiv Shah. The tremor hit at lunchtime Tuesday, toppling buildings and leaving downtown Christchurch strewn with debris. The city's landmark cathedral lost its spire. A team of US officials were in Christchurch for meetings with New Zealand counterparts at the moment the quake struck. They included retired admiral Thad Allen who led the US response to last year's Gulf of Mexico oil spill and former number two diplomat Richard Armitage. US media reported that all were said to be safe. But an estimated 100 people remained trapped in earthquake-hit buildings in Christchurch, police said, warning the current death toll of 65 was set to rise significantly. Superintendent Russell Gibson told Radio New Zealand the number of trapped "could be another 100, it could easily be more than that." Christchurch was hit as it was still recovering from an even stronger, 7.0 magnitude quake in September which caused extensive damage but no fatalities.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters A world of storm and tempest When the Earth Quakes
Haiti town struggles to emerge from the rubbleLeogane, Haiti (AFP) Feb 18, 2011 Residents of the seaside Haitian town of Leogane, which was largely destroyed by the January 2010 earthquake, would love to rebuild, but first they have to get past the mounds of rubble. The good news, if you can call it that, is that engineering assessments conducted by the government and the United Nations show only about 50 percent of Leogane's buildings collapsed, unlike the 80-90 percen ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook
