New Zealand Herald | February 23, 2011 | Hamish Fletcher
Much of Christchurch is without essential services after yesterday’s earthquake with gas, power, water and phone infrastructure all affected by the 6.3-magnitude tremors.
Contact Energy turned off the gas supply to the city last night and was advising residents to turn off their mains connection. The company will restore supply only when it is safe to do so, said spokeswoman Janet Carson.
Civil Defence reported freshwater and sewage pipes had cracked and water was pouring into the streets. It is not known how many households are not connected to the water supply.
Both cellphone and fixed line telephone services struggled to shoulder the extra load yesterday as families and friends tried to contact one another after the earthquake.
The 111 emergency line was down immediately after the quake but service was restored when calls were diverted to a Wellington centre. Power outages meant many landline calls in Christchurch could not be connected, putting extra strain on mobile networks.
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