Christchurch Earthquake Update - 13 June

The Salvation Army’s work in Christchurch has intensified following yesterday’s 6.3 and 5.7 magnitude aftershocks.

Emergency Services volunteers under Major Rex Cross fed residents at Cowles Stadium last night, which was set up as an emergency centre for displaced residents. Salvation Army Earthquake Response Manager Bruce Coffey says only a handful of residents stayed at the stadium, but those numbers could increase with 15,000 eastern suburbs homes still without power. Meals are being provided at the stadium today.

The Salvation Army has three mobile teams in the affected suburbs providing moral support for shaken residents and arranging emergency aid for those unable to get out and purchase food because of a lack of transport or the poor state of the roads.

Bruce doubts there will be a need for significant additional resources as a result of the recent aftershocks, but suspects many residents would benefit from the support of Salvation Army psychosocial workers.

“We will be assessing the situation and looking to the longer term,’ he says.

Southern Division Secretary for Programme, Major Darrell LePine says residents ‘are really stretched, as far as tension and anxiety goes’.

He says all Salvation Army buildings are functioning, although Linwood Community Ministries was shaken up and is providing reduced services while it is cleaned up.

Several quarters have sustained additional damage and some cracks have appeared in the Divisional Headquarters buildings, he says.