9 believed dead in New Zealand plane crash

[Keit]

Just yesterday New Zealand experienced strong earthquake. Looks like trouble comes in double.

_http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iQRo26Xl2P8vmiHkM_dafZEu2qKQD9I0RSL81

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Nine people are believed to have died when a light aircraft belonging to a skydiving company crashed on New Zealand's South Island on Saturday.

A spokesman for local ambulance services, Ian Henderson, says nine people were thought to be aboard the plane that burst into flames after takeoff Saturday from an airstrip at Fox Glacier.

Henderson says he does not know the ages, gender or nationalities of the dead.

Police say the aircraft was a Fletcher fixed-wing plane of a type designed and built in New Zealand.

Fox Glacier is on the West Coast of the South Island, about 90 miles (150 kilometers) from the main city Christchurch.

And there is this:

_http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jWJgXwJC6qqfMtXo73oT5wwrgH-A
Widespread devastation after 7.0 quake in New Zealand

CHRISTCHURCH - A powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused widespread devastation in New Zealand's second largest city of Christchurch Saturday, with officials saying it was "extremely lucky" no one was killed.

The quake struck just before dawn when few people were on the streets sending building facades crashing to the ground, crushing parked cars and showering the roads with shattered glass.

Frightened residents fled from their homes to find streets covered in rubble and glass, but in the city of 340,000 only two people were seriously injured.

Many buildings were structurally damaged, and there were gas leaks, ruptured water and sewage mains, collapsed bridges and cuts to electricity supplies.

A state of emergency was declared in the city with people being warned to stay away from damaged buildings for fear of further collapses as severe aftershocks continued to rock the city.[...]

 

[Ca.]

Current information to New Zealand’s situation.

www.3news.co.nz

Christchurch hit by earthquake, photos.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2010/sep/03/christchurch-earthquake-new-zealand