New Zealand Quake

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake ripped through Christchurch, New Zealand, on Tuesday afternoon, February 22, at lunch hour rush causing multiple fatalities as it toppled buildings onto buses, buckled streets and damaged cathedrals.   Several aftershocks have been reported.   Phone lines are down and the airport has been closed.  The New Zealand Herald reports that the quake’s epicenter was Lyttelton with a depth of 5 kilometers, though it was felt as far away as Wellington and Dunedin.