Safety first as city goes into lockdown | Canterbury News | Local News in Canterbury

Eighty Auckland police officers are being flown into Christchurch tonight to help enforce a 12-hour curfew in the city.

Anyone found breaching the curfew between 7pm and 7am in the central city and in Kaipoi can be arrested, say police.

"This is in order to protect the public from falling debris," said Inspector Al Stewart.

As darkness falls in Canterbury, people face an anxious night after the terrifying early wake-up call today left homes and businesses ruined, knocked out power and water, chewed up roads, demolished cars and left families living in uncertainty.

Two people have been reported seriously injured, after being hit by falling masonry and glass. A number of others have been treated for minor injuries.

However, Prime Minister John Key earlier today commended the people of Christchurch for their swift reaction to the damaging quake that hit the region in the early morning.

"It is very difficult for people to remain calm when they are subject to such violent physical attack," he said after he touched down at the airport to see the destruction for himself.

"The people of Christchurch have done very well, apart from the odd looting, which is very sad."

He acknowledged Civil Defence for its early response to the disaster.

He said it was an absolute miracle that no-one had been killed in a very sizeable earthquake in a very populated part of New Zealand.

He had flown into the city in an air force plane for what he called a "snapshot" of the damage with Civil Defence Minister John Carter and local member of Parliament Gerry Brownlee.

"The Government's going to step up and make a sizeable contribution," he promised before heading for a briefing at the civil defence centre in the city.

The visit was a sign of solidarity with the people of the Canterbury region and to get an assessment of the extent of the damage. The aircraft flew over some of the affected area on the way in.

Mr Key warned it could take months before all the damage, including structural damage, was known.

He identified water and sewerage as critical issues in the days ahead.

People with insurance would be covered by the Earthquake and War Damage Commission for the first $100,000 of damage. A mayoral fund would also provide assistance. He warned the bill could run to billions.

The commission was sending engineers to work with local engineers to begin making a snap-shot assessment of the damage tomorrow.

One of the heaviest and most unnerving aftershocks hit about 5pm today, just when things seemed to have gone quiet.

As night closes in, and people head to their beds, many residents will have a nagging fear that they may have to relive the experience, or face something even worse.