In all likelihood, the death toll will rise above the current count of 65 people. CNN:
The New Zealand Herald reported that the quake knocked out phone lines, including the city's emergency 111 service. The temblor cracked roads and broke water mains, flooding several streets. About 80 percent of the city lost power, TVNZ reported.
Witness Philip Gregan said he was attending a joint U.S.- New Zealand conference when the earthquake struck.
"I'm seeing a lot of damage in buildings. I've seen one collapsed bridge and there's a lot of water from broken water mains," he said. "I saw one (injured) person in the back of a police car and one of our colleagues saw a person crushed by falling debris."
