Key praises local response to quake

Prime Minister John Key. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

Christchurch people have been commended by Prime Minister John Key for their reaction to the damaging quake that hit the region early today.

"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 commended 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.

The commission was well and truly covered in terms of its capacity to meet the demands coming from the people of the Canterbury region.

Schools might not reopen on Monday, because they would not reopen until it was known that the buildings were okay.

- NZPA