MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

“A strong earthquake struck the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday, sending goods tumbling from shelves and prompting terrified holiday shoppers to flee as buildings shook. There was no tsunami alert issued and the city appeared to have been spared major damage.

One person was injured at a city mall and was taken to a hospital, Christchurch police said in a statement. But there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or widespread damage in the city, which is still recovering from the devastating February earthquake that killed 182 people and destroyed much of the downtown area.

The 5.8-magnitude quake struck Friday afternoon 26 kilometres north of Christchurch at a depth of four kilometres, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue an alert.

The city’s airport was evacuated and all city malls shut down as a precaution.

Warwick Isaacs, demolitions manager for the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, said most buildings had been evacuated ‘as an emergency measure.'” Read more.

Update: More quakes rattle New Zealand, including a 6.0 “aftershock” …