Earthquakes strike New Zealand anew

Christchurch, New Zealand, was hit by another series of intense earthquakes mid-day Monday.

Just four months after a devastating quake killed 181 people and caused about NZ$15 billion ($12.2 billion) worth of damage, the city was struck by five successive tremors ranging between 4.3 and 6.0 in magnitude.

The quake damaged homes and businesses and sent boulders from the city's outer hills crashing toward residential districts. There has also been reported flooding and liquefaction - a process where violent shaking causes solid earth to liquefy - in the eastern part of the city.

All the shops have fallen down, said Renee Murray, who works at a Domino's Pizza in a Christchurch suburb told the Associated Press.

Half of the roof has fallen in (but) they have not fully collapsed.

There are no reported fatalities or serious injuries. About 50,000 homes are without power, and many will remain that way overnight.

Making matters worse, New Zealand's Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS) says that there will be more quakes coming.

We would expect a number of aftershocks in the magnitude 4.0 to 5.0 range on the coming days and weeks, said Kelvin Berryman, GNS's Manager of Natural Hazards Research.