By Jenny Saw
Cantabrians will have to cope in the most extreme of conditions as they head into a second night of living in the aftermath of an earthquake; some are still without power, water or landlines.
Hospitals and emergency services throughout the region are stretched to capacity, dealing with hundreds of casualties.
Ambulances lined up at Christchurch’s emergency department this afternoon; St John has received more than 400 call outs since yesterday.
The hospital is so busy some surgery unrelated to the quake has been shifted to the North Island.
They are now dealing with a second wave of medical issues, typical of the aftermath of an earthquake.
“What we think we will see is a lot of chest pain, a lot of cardiology complaints, a lot of heart attacks, which we know from previous experience is common after an earthquake because of the unsettling and stressful nature of the problem,” says Dr Mike Ardagh.
The next concern is an influx of patients due to water borne illnesses; diseases that can be avoided if people boil drinking water or seek out fresh supplies.
More than 2,000 Shirley residents had to wait for over four hours today for fresh water.
Firemen are desperate for water too; they couldn't get enough to prevent a supermarket from burning down this morning.
Many homes remain without power or phone lines but electricity supplier Orion says it’s making progress.
“We started this morning with about 50 percent customers back on,” says Roger Sutton of Orion Energy. “We are hoping by tonight there is going to be something around 70 percent or something slightly better.”
The sewerage system has also suffered major damage; the Civil Defence Minister says people need to improvise.
“If you need to go into your backyard and dig a hole… take care of yourself that way,” John Carter says.
While the majority of the city is without vital services the citizens remain calm as they deal with the stark reality.
Their lives will be far from normal for a long time yet.
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