New Zealand Earthquake Leaves 65 Dead, Causes Major Damages

A powerful earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand Tuesday afternoon, causing major damages and leaving at least 65 people dead. Buildings were toppled, roads were cracked and shifted, and debris crushed vehicles. The death toll is expected to rise as rescuers sift through rubble looking for people trapped underneath.

The 6.3 magnitude tremor struck around 1 p.m. local time on Tuesday and was followed about 15 minutes later by a powerful 5.6 magnitude aftershock. A 5.5 magnitude aftershock hit the area just before 3 p.m. local time.

Power and communication outages were reported throughout the city. Many streets were flooded as water mains had burst. The airport was closed and all flights bound for Christchurch were diverted. Outgoing flights were delayed or canceled.

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