Keeping the Flag Flying...

Keeping the Flag Flying...

Thursday 24 February 2011

Christchurch Earthquake - Death Toll continues to rise - 98 Confirmed




The death toll from the devastating Christchurch earthquake has risen to 98 with police holding grave concerns for 226 people...

Prime Minister John Key warned the nation to prepare itself for the worst. "We are very fearful tonight that the death toll could be much greater than any of us ever feared," he said.
He also said it could be weeks before families had their loved ones' bodies returned. 
read more


The video below from TVNZ allows us to share just some of the agony and the horror of what the people of Christchurch lived through and what our fellow NZers are continuing to live through as the search and recovery process continues and the death toll rises ... With other cities around NZ being continuously under threat of an impending major earthquake, and Wellington in particular which has been expecting a 'biggie' for as long as I can remember and where we were drilled from the Primers as to how to react, I am sure that these scenes simply confirm our worst expectations...

I have been unlucky enough to be in both major earthquakes in Athens, the first in February of 1981 and the second in 1999, and my reactions were almost automatic- the earthquake drills we had from our early childhood days in Wellington proving once more how important prevention training is...





Reminder:

Don't forget Google's Person Finder for those looking for missing persons, or for those who have information about someone missing...

Contact number to ask about missing persons  00 64 7 8502199

Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost their loved ones or await news of missing persons... we hope for the best for them.

We understand that as far as members of the Greek Community in Christchurch are concerned, all seem to be well and accounted for so far...

You may also like to read a first hand report of the events from Artanis - the wife of the Greek School teacher in Christchurch who writes a blog on her family's life in Christchurch.

She starts off her latest post like this:

5 μήνες μετά τον σεισμό του Σεπτεμβρίου, την Τρίτη 22/2 είχαμε όπως μάθατε κι εσείς, μια νέα δόνηση, μεγέθους 6,3 ρίχτερ, που χτύπησε στις 12.51 το μεσημέρι...Οι ζημιές είναι τεράστιες, υπάρχουν μέχρι στιγμής 75 νεκροί, και εκατοντάδες αγνοούμενοι, το ιστορικό κέντρο της πόλης, ισοπεδώθηκε: το καμπαναριό του καθεδρικού κατέρρευσε, το κτίριο της τηλεόρασης κατέρρευσε παγιδεύοντας δεκάδες, παλιά και νέα μοντέρνα κτίρια έπεσαν ή είναι ετοιμόρροπα, και μεγάλος μέρος της πόλης δεν έχει νερό και ηλεκτρικό, και για αποχέτευση ούτε λόγος...Read more

Fingers crossed for EVERYONE...

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Tragedy in Christchurch as 6.3 R Earthquake Devastates City...75 Confirmed deaths

Source:Stuff NZ 
'It doesn't matter where you are in the world, you are always a kiwi at heart and hurt for your country in it's hour of need when tragedy strikes. We are a small country that has suffered devastating tragedies in the last few months. We love you New Zealand. You can take a kiwi out of the country but you can't take the kiwi out of our hearts'   
Vera Zivadinovic Georgiou - one of our Griwis living in Australia
We all listened to the news in disbelief as we struggled to come to grips with the tragic news we all woke up to in Athens this morning ... 

Christchurch, one of the loveliest of New Zealand's cities had had a major earthquake - 6.3 on the Richter scale, smaller than September's but much more destructive as it took place at 1 in the afternoon with a lot of people around... 65 people confirmed dead and a worst case scenario of possibly up to 400 human lives - a tragedy for our people and for New Zealand, one of New Zealand's darkest days.

As the day breaks in New Zealand and the search and rescue teams resume their task, our thoughts and prayers, wherever in the world we may be, go out to our fellow Kiwis - to those who have lost their loved ones, to all those waiting to be rescued and to those who are living with the agony of uncertainty...

KIA KAHA AOTEAROA - NEW ZEALAND BE STRONG - ΝΕΑ ΖΗΛΑΝΔΙΑ ΚΡΑΤΑ ΓΕΡΑ
 Latest Update:
55 identified bodies, at least another 20 confirmed deaths. At least 300 people missing, says Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker

USEFUL INFORMATION:

For all those who would like to get futher information on the Christchurch Earthquake

www.civildefence.govt.nz

www.canterburyearthquake.org.nz

If anyone wants to find out about specific persons in Christchurch the following site has been set up by Google:

http://christchurch-2011.person-finder.appspot.com


To ask about people in New Zealand you may be concerned about, you can call:

00 64 7 8502199


On Facebook several groups have been set up also:



 Facebook Page - Christchurch Quake Live


Supporting Christchurch Earthquake 22-02-11


Other Links:



Quake shakes 30 Million Tons of Ice  off Tasman Glacier
 TV NZ  Live Updates
 Eye Witness Accounts of the Quakes - Stuff NZ 
Helping out - What you can do 
Donations via Red Cross NZ
For those of us outside New Zealand the only help we can really offer is financial assistance. As an association we will endeavour to raise funds for our fellow New Zealanders in need. For those who would like to make a donation directly you can do so on line via 
New Zealand Red Cross Secure on line Credit Card Donations
Please note that if you have any information you would like us to post, or that you would like to share with us, please leave a note in the visitor's book on the sidebar or email us at     
griwis@gmail.com
 

Thursday 10 February 2011