The two largest universities near the center of Monday’s earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, have emerged relatively unscathed from a disaster that has killed at least 75 people over all.
One Samoan student attending the University of Canterbury was killed while riding a bus in the middle of the city, the university reported, while Lincoln University, the other public institution near Christchurch, has not reported any deaths. An unknown number of students from across Asia attending a postsecondary private English-language program died in the rubble of an office building that search-and-rescue teams have abandoned as hopeless, the Associated Press reported.
“The sad fact is we’re removing resources from this site to other sites where there is a higher chance of survivability,” a police inspector, Dave Lawry, told reporters.
The English-language program, King’s Education, had its teaching facilities in the office building.
As many as a dozen Japanese students, along with students from Thailand, China, and South Korea, are missing, along with instructors. “We are working with the NZ Police to identify all those who are safe, those who have been rescued, and those who are still unaccounted for,” wrote the program’s directors, John Ryder and Graeme Dodd, on its Web site.
The earthquake, technically an aftershock of a September earthquake, hit during the day when the city was at its busiest and did much more damage than the September tremor to center-city buildings. “This is a very different event from the one that occurred on September 4,” said Rod Carr, vice chancellor of the University of Canterbury, in a statement.
The university said that its six residence halls were open and students were being fed.
“Vast amounts of our built infrastructure are in good shape,” said Mr. Carr. The university was having difficulty reaching all of its 20,000 students and 2,000 faculty and staff members, he said. Many Christchurch buildings are without power and running water, including some on the campus, meaning that Internet access is limited for many as well.
For those with Internet access, the University of Canterbury is providing some information on Facebook and its Web site.
Both Lincoln University and the University of Canterbury were surveying their buildings to make sure they were safe before reopening. The University of Canterbury was providing limited access to allow staff members and students to collect personal belongings. Canterbury is closed until further notice; Lincoln is scheduled to reopen next week.
More global news from The Chronicle
SIGN UP: Get Global Coverage in Your Inbox
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn
