A series of strong earthquakes have struck the New Zealand city of Christchurch, rattling buildings, sending goods tumbling from shelves and prompting terrified holiday shoppers to flee into the streets.
The 5.8-magnitude quake struck afternoon 16 miles (26 kilometers) north of Christchurch at a depth of 2.5 miles (4 kilometers), the US Geological Survey said. The quake was followed by a series of sharp aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 5.3 and a depth of just 1.8 miles (3 kilometers).
