Chilling footage from seconds after Christchurch earthquake

Japanese tourist Shogo Osawa was in Cathedral Square when last month's deadly earthquake hit and took this video of the aftermath.

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[Battleneter]

The Christchurch earthquake had 4X the ground acceleration than felt in the worse parts of Japan. Much like a bomb there are 2 major factors, how big the bomb is and how "close" you are to it. The Christchurch quake was under a outer suburb where the Japan quake was 150KM at sea and much deeper.

The Japan tsunami and Nuclear issue was really the major devastating factors not the relatively non damaging quake. Everyone just reads dumbed down sensational headlines "Magnitude 9.0 quake!!!!!!"

[MissILoveMusic13]

I have heard people saying that this was nothing comparing to the Japan earthquake and to the move out of the spotlight but I actually lived through it and the scientists are saying that Japans one wasn't necessarily bigger it just, lasted longer. We have lost nearly all our heritage buildings and I know a 6 year old girl who lost her father who died getting people over the hill to there homes in lyttelton harbour. I may be only 14 but I am speaking the truth of what surrounds us.

[rustydevilll]

I love the huge amount of ignorance you have stenciling out of your asshole, maybe you should go sit on the toilet for a while.

[dobberdoss]

@Natalie72622739 ,

My god, what a fucking loser. Parents are fine by the way, NO damage LOL

[Natalie72622739]

@dobberdoss Lol asume what? Well I think you should take your attitude and stick it where the sun don't shine? See what's happened? Btw i wouldn't even bother replying cause i'm not going to reply to yo again, I just thought that was kinda.. sad that you would say that especially if it was so close to home (just to clarify, you are 100% right, the way you said that, I don't believe was). And nasty words are meant for nasty people.

[dobberdoss]

@Natalie72622739 ,

My parents live in Kaiapoi bitch, Don't ASSUME and take your righteous attitude and stick it where the sun don't shine

[Natalie72622739]

@dobberdoss Don't you ever talk like that about Christchurch again. Shut the fuck up. We all learned the bad structure of those buildings and yes if they were all good it wouldn't be so bad. But it happened. And I'm with Battleneter, the earthquake was damaging for the fact that it did cause the tsunami, but the actual earthquake they felt. Plus i just think you don't fully understand what he means..

[musique1975]

I think it's a waste of time fixing up the Christchurch Cathedral Church. Bulldoze it down.

It's going to cost more than it's worth to fix an ancient building that was built over a hundred years ago. It's had its day. Time for a new and modern church to be built.

[vahvahdisco]

He asked me how I knew it was going to happen and I told him I just sensed it - also studied this at school (years ago) and have been fascinated ever since.

But my heart goes out to all those who are affected by this natural phenomena

[vahvahdisco]

I am quite sensitive to tremors even if we only get them now and then in England but it was frightening enough to me to have my whole flat vibrating and the cats yowling and stuff falling off the walls when we had the Dudley Quake. I paged my concierge to let them know that 'we were just about to have an earthquake' and he was very skeptical, until of course the whole building was shaking and the switchboard was inundated with other residents who had no idea what was going on !

[vahvahdisco]

Why try to compare the two ? Surely what you all should be thinking about, are the unfortunate people who were affected by these 2 catastrophes ! Those who lost their lives, their families, their livelihoods, their whole villages or buildings within those towns/cities.

Just because the quake happened months ago, it doesn't mean it's forgotten - people will still be living in fear, that's a natural thing to happen !

[Tiwzem]

well i must say i wasn't in japan in their earthquake i was in chch when we had our one and unless you were here then shit the fuck up.... it was scary enough to go through the actual quake now having idiots saying it was pathetic get a life.

[dobberdoss]

@Battleneter ,

"not the relatively non damaging quake".

ohhh............so............­what caused the tsunami? That "non damaging" earthquake you mention?

What a fucking moron to even make comparisons. The Japanese quake went for 6 minutes and did much damage and killed many people!

The major killer in CHCH was 2 pathetically constructed buildings

[weelopy]

@delta27able The Christchurch quake had both up and down as well as side to side movement which made this more destructive.

[xxxtangerinexxx]

@MissILoveMusic13 yes the quake was worse in ChCh but the tsunami did far more devastation and deaths

[migueluspa]

that gingerbread house was built strong.



[Diddlethecat]

Well then, I've read some of these posts and all are comparing the strength of the quake. Two things to consider. 1. the number of lives lost. 2. the number of people who lost their homes,places of work, and everything else around them.

[EKSBEntertainment]

@Battleneter Yea i was in japan quake nere Sendai and if the 9.0 happened here for horrid 6 mins there would be nothing left of the city. Closer and shallower quakes are makes more building damage excluding tsunami. Inland quakes.

[qwer8456]

WOW! I hopes Mr Shogo Oshawa survived both earthquake (and tsunami).

[kylex221]

the picture kinda looked like soviet russia

[GoComando2]

Christchurch died.

[thatshillarious]

And theres just been another one.

[4foot7]

@Battleneter I agree that the magnitude is not usually a good measure of the destructive power of a quake, but the Japan had a PGA (Peak Ground Acceleration) of 2.97g while we in Christchurch had a PGA of 2.26g in Heathcote. And the Japan quake was only 37km deep. Comparing these events is impossible, they are different in so many ways, but at least get the facts right before you go on a rant. It was the 5th biggest earthquake ever recorded, so its hardly sensationalist headlines.

[moogul21d]

@karinadaphne Oh my goodness, exactly. I'm from Chch and have lived here all my life as well, but there's no point in comparing the two disasters. They were both significantly horrifying in their own way. Completely agree with you in saying that it's not a competition.

[kro235]

@ASHma101 The Richter scale is what the media and the public uses and has no real bearing on the actual force felt by buildings and people. You have to take into account acceleration (very important), G forces and distances. When you look at all of these stats in depth for the 6.3 quake in chch you will find its widely recognised as one of the most powerful quakes felt in a metropolitan area in modern history. So no, Japan doesn't cope with quakes like it everyday.

[delta27able]

The difference between the Christchurch earthquake & Japan's is the ground acceleration (thrust fault) in Christchurch was up and down which is quite rare, not side to side! Also, Christchurch had a focal point of 5.8km deep & 6.8km from the CBD. This quake was short but very violent. EQ's are apart of life in Japan, not so much here in Christchurch. Anyone comparing the two that has not experienced it has no idea!!!