At 4.55 am of September 4, Christchurch was rocked by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake which caused widespread damage and left thousands without power and water as night falls.
The second biggest city was also hit by a series of major aftershocks.
Prime Minister John Key, who saw first-hand the devastation across Christchurch, said it was a miracle more people weren't killed.There are reports of looting*, people smashing (storefront) windows and trying to grab some property that is not theirs.
On the corner of Oxford Tce and Gloucester St, police apprehend a looter* who has stolen a till* and alcohol from a bar.