FACTS ABOUT THE NEW ZEALAND EARTHQUAKE

• This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck much of New Zealand's South Island early Saturday and caused widespread damage, but there were just two reports of serious injuries. Looters broke into some damaged shops in Christchurch, police said.

The quake, which hit 19 miles (30 kilometers) west of the southern city of Christchurch according to the state geological agency GNS Science, shook a wide area, with some residents saying buildings had collapsed and power was severed. No tsunami alert was issued.

Christchurch police reported road damage in parts of the city of 400,000 people, with a series of sharp aftershocks rocking the area. Police officers cordoned off some streets where rubble was strewn about. Video showed some cars crushed by heaps of fallen bricks.

"There is considerable damage in the central city and we've also had reports of looting, just shop windows broken and easy picking of displays," Police Inspector Mike Coleman told New Zealand's National Radio. "It's very unsafe to be out and about."

Police Inspector Alf Stewart told the radio that some people had been arrested for looting.

Magnitude	7.0
Date-Time	Friday, September 03, 2010 at 16:35:46 UTC Saturday, September 04, 2010 at 04:35:46 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location	43.375°S, 172.016°E
Depth	12 km (7.5 miles) set by location program
Region	SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
Distances	55 km (35 miles) WNW of Christchurch, New Zealand 185 km (115 miles) S of Westport, New Zealand 305 km (190 miles) NNE of Dunedin, New Zealand 325 km (200 miles) SW of WELLINGTON, New Zealand
Location Uncertainty	horizontal +/- 11.2 km (7.0 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters	NST= 98, Nph= 98, Dmin=86.7 km, Rmss=1.69 sec, Gp= 32°, M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=8
Source	USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID	ఉస౨౦౧౦అత్బ్జ