Canterbury earthquake

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake occurred near the city of Christchurch in Canterbury, New Zealand, on 22 February 2011.

Updates on the earthquake are available on the Canterbury Earthquake website (http://canterburyearthquake.org.nz/).

More information can be found on the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management website (www.civildefence.govt.nz).

Statements from Prime Minister John Key and other ministers are available on the Beehive website (www.beehive.govt.nz).

People planning to visit New Zealand can see updates at Tourism New Zealand (www.tourismnewzealand.com).
 

Red Cross Person Enquiry Line 

The New Zealand Red Cross Person Enquiry Line is now activated. If you are unable to contact a friend or relative in the Christchurch area, call the Red Cross Person Enquiry Line. Red Cross will be able to tell you if they have registered with Civil Defence. People are encouraged to do this before reporting friends and relatives missing.

People enquiring from outside New Zealand should call +64 7 850 2199
 

Spanish Nationals

Those concerned about Spanish nationals in New Zealand should contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Spain www.maec.es or the Spanish Embassy in Wellington on 00 64 21 83 67 25.

 Rest of New Zealand

• The rest fo New Zealand (outside te Christchurch area) is not directly affected by the quake, and remains open and operating - for business and tourism. Canterbury will recover from the earthquake and we will do all we can to ensure it does.
• The state of national emergency applies only to the Christchurch area and does not have any direct impact on other areas of New Zealand.

All New Zealand airports, including Christchurch are open and operating. International travellers planning to visit New Zealand are advised that the emergency declared aplies only to the Christchurch area and does not have any direct impact on other areas of New Zealand. As a precaution, travellers are advised to check with their airline or trael agent before commencing travel in case of delays.