Curfew lifted in Christchurch

A curfew in the central business district of Christchurch was lifted at 7am this morning.

However, cordons are still in place in some streets where crumbling buildings are off limits.

Several people were arrested on Sunday morning after trying to get inside the area.

Christchurch is still under a state of emergency following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake at 4.35am on Saturday.

Areas within Kilmore, Madras, Montreal and St Asaph streets are out of bounds to anyone who does not live there.

Civil Defence estimates that more than 500 buildings sustained damage. An assessment will begin today.

About 20 per cent of Christchurch was without power last night and a third was without water.

It will cost more than $2 billion to repair the damage, and today the city is braced for worse with a heavy storm, with 130km/h winds, expected to hit.


Story by: Roneel Lal