where was the earthquake in christchurch?
Canterbury
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 The earthquake produced severe shaking that registered VIII on the Mercalli scale in and around the city of Christchurch , destroying some buildings and causing additional damage to many structures affected by previous earthquakes . The damaged tower of the historic Lyttelton Timeball Station collapsed before dismantling work could be completed . The earthquake downed phone lines and triggered widespread outages , which left around 54 @,@ 000 households without power . Rebuilding costs in Christchurch increased by NZ $ 6 billion ( US $ 4 @.@ 8 billion ) owing to the additional damage from the quake . Forty @-@ six people suffered injuries , and one elderly man died after being knocked unconscious . 

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 The earthquake forced hundreds of people to leave the country for the United States . It occurred during a period of several major natural disasters in which many residents of the island left ; in 1975 , 8 @,@ 000 residents left . In 1981 , however , just 2 @,@ 500 people left the island . 

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 If the earthquake had occurred during the early morning while residents were asleep , rather than mid @-@ afternoon ( 1 : 52 pm local time ) , it could have been deadlier as housing in the epicentral area consisted chiefly of mud and brick . 

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 Despite the appeal , thousands of onlookers filled the street on Sunday morning of 5 August . Punctually at 8 am , a series of short explosions were heard , followed by another series a couple of seconds later . The building collapsed towards the north as planned , and the implosion manager from Controlled Demolition , Inc. was quoted as saying that " it went a bit further than I had hoped so I am lucky " . The explosions were heard around Christchurch . 

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 In light of the possibility of aftershocks , police evacuated shopping malls and office buildings around the city . Essential organisations in the area were evacuated as a safety precaution , including the police headquarters and offices of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority . At Christchurch International Airport , officials halted operations after the earthquake , but all flights resumed later that day . Months before the event , a severe magnitude 6 @.@ 3 earthquake occurred in a similar area adjacent to Christchurch , causing widespread destruction and fatalities in the city . Concerns arose about the condition of previously damaged structures , and the 13 June earthquakes caused further distress among many victims . Dozens of dissatisfied residents were expected to move out of the city , and many others sought professional help for anxiety and depression @-@ related issues . 
