New Zealand earthquake a 'desperate situation'
Multiple fatalities have been reported after a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck New Zealand.
Brendan Burns, MP for Christchurch Central, described the situation as "desperate".
The powerful tremor, which struck at 1251 on Tuesday (2351 GMT on Monday) only 10km (6.2 miles) south-east of the city, caused widespread destruction.
22 Feb 2011
- From the section Asia-Pacific