A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Christchurch just months after the deadly February 2011 quake, causing one death and NZ$6 billion in additional restoration costs.
Key Facts
- Magnitude
- 6.0 Mw
- Depth
- 7 km km
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 46
- Households without power
- 54,000 households
- Additional restoration cost
- NZ$6 billion (US$4.8 billion)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Christchurch sat in a seismically active zone and had already been severely weakened by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in February 2011. The June event was preceded by a magnitude 5.9 foreshock at a depth of 8.9 km, indicating continued stress release along faults south-east of the city.
On 13 June 2011 at 14:20 NZST, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck approximately 5 km south-east of Christchurch at a shallow depth of 7 km. Shaking reached VIII (Severe) on the Mercalli scale, collapsing the already-damaged tower of the historic Lyttelton Timeball Station and cutting power to 54,000 households.
One elderly man died and 46 people were injured. The quake compounded damage from the February earthquake, pushing estimated restoration costs for Christchurch up by NZ$6 billion. Phone lines were severed and power outages affected tens of thousands of residents, further straining recovery efforts.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 1 (earthquake)