A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the New Zealand city of Christchurch, killing dozens of people and trapping many more inside destroyed buildings.
Footage showed broken bricks and concrete littering cracked sidewalks, as hundreds of people sought help. The force of the quake destroyed a cathedral in the centre of the city.
Hours after the quake struck, officials estimated at least 65 people had died and warned that the toll was expected to rise.
Todd Niall, of Radio New Zealand, said two commuter busses were crushed by falling buildings.
"We're also seeing people still climbing out of the rubble of some quite modern-looking buildings, as well as some older brick buildings, which had collapsed in some cases on cars," he told CTV News Channel by phone. "So there is going to be a significant toll from this quake, much more so than the one last September which occurred earlier on a weekend morning."
The government called an emergency cabinet meeting and Prime Minister John Key was expected to fly to Christchurch to assess the devastation.
Emergency workers were rushing to save survivors trapped in fallen buildings, and the amount of destruction appeared to be widespread. Christchurch is New Zealand's second largest city, with a population of about 370,000 people.
Reports suggest two towns outside of the city and closer to the quake's epicenter -- Lyttelton and New Brighton -- were also heavily damaged.
Councilman Barry Corbett, who works on the top floor of the city council building, said many buildings had been completely reduced to rubble.
"When the shaking had stopped I looked out of the window, which gives a great view onto Christchurch, and there was just dust," he said. "It was evident straight away that a lot of buildings had gone."
The mayor of Christchurch, Bob Parker, said the force of the quake threw him across his office.
"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 quake also knocked out power to the city and broke water pipes, flooding streets.
The tremor hit five kilometres from the city at a depth of four kilometres, and created a 5.6-magnitude aftershock.
Christchurch has suffered hundreds of tremors since a 7.1-magnitude quake struck last September, but that quake caused no deaths and far less damage.
"The first one happened early in the morning on a weekend when everyone was tucked up in bed, but this one happened in the middle of a busy summer lunch hour," said Niall.
"Buildings that came through the first quake relatively unscathed, some of them are severely damaged this time around."
With files from The Associated Press
