The 6.3 magnitude quake was the second in six months in Christchurch, after the 7.1 magnitude earthquake in September 2010.

is believed that more than one hundred people, including 12 Japanese students visiting the country are trapped under the rubble. Prime Minister John Key said the world is probably "witness of the day darkest in the history of New Zealand. "
Firefighters used helicopters to put out some fires and used a crane to rescue workers from the roof of an office tower.
Authorities said the search and rescue teams had been sent from all over New Zealand and the government had accepted an offer of assistance from the United States and Australia.
Source: http://www.voanews.com/spanish/news/international/Mortal-terremoto-en-Nueva-Zelanda-116645999.html