Earthquake toll 'going to double' says Colne emigrant
A woman from Colne who emigrated to New Zealand four years ago has spoken of the devastation caused by the earthquake in Christchurch.
Lisa Davis, 39, lives 16 miles (25km) north of Christchurch in Rangiora.
She said the earthquake was far worse than the major tremor in September.
Mrs Davis said: "The last one was bad enough but this time it is tenfold because it was shallow and it has done a lot more damage."
Although they live with the threat of earthquakes, her daughter Georgia got earthquake drills at school when they first arrived, she said the second tremor still took people unawares.
"Everybody had relaxed and was trying to get back to normal. We were just not anticipating this at all."
Mrs Davis, who is on a career break, said they were still feeling the aftershocks of the earthquake that struck at a shallow depth of 3.1m (5km) on Tuesday lunchtime.
"The whole house just jolts; it is like a train driving up to your house and forgetting to stop," she said.
While she has been helping a local church which is providing help and temporary accommodation to people affected by the earthquake, her husband who is a police officer has been helping with the rescue effort in Christchurch.
"My husband has just got back from the city and he said the death toll is going to be double if not treble what has been initially reported," she said.
"He said [Christchurch] is just devastated, it is flattened."
The couple have offered to put up people made homeless and have offered the use of their caravan. "It's nice to be able to help out if we can especially at a time like this," she said.
They moved to New Zealand after going on holiday there and falling in love with the country.