Christchurch hit by two earthquakes today.

[Nigelinoz]

Christchurch has been hit by two earthquakes today and reports are coming in that all flights are grounded due to the CHC ATC centre
being closed.
NZStuff Stuff.co.nz News

BREAKING: Flights grounded throughout the country. The national Air Traffic Control base in Christchurch has been evacuated #eqnz

Cheers
N'oz
Edited to add:According to the NZ Herald it is actually FOUR quakes.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

 

[Hvr]

Have to feel for our NZ brothers and sisters. Major earthquakes and ash clouds. Seems to be hitting NZ hard at the moment.

 

[samh004]

Made contact with a friend there, who's online, so it's not too bad according to him.

 

[KitKat]

Puts things in perspective.... oh well if I am stuck another day in SYD, pales in comparison

 

[Nigelinoz]

The first shake hit at 1pm and was a magnitude 5.5 quake, but has been eclipsed by the larger event.
It was felt as far away as Wellington and Invercargill and has seen Christchurch Airport evacuated, with reports that one runway may have been damaged in the shakes.
Fire Service spokesman Ian Lynn said a bridge has reportedly come down following the magnitude 6.0 quake - believed to possibly be on Gayhurst Road, Avonside.
He said there have been further callouts, mostly for broken water mains.
"This place is going mad."
Police are evacuating the central city red zone after reports of a possible gas leak; and the Old Waimakariri bridge, Moorhouse Ave overbridge, Gloucester/Gayhurst bridge and Anzac Ave bridge are all closed.

Second major 6.0 aftershock hits Christchurch - National - NZ Herald News

 

[Mwenenzi]

Some links
Christchurch earthquake - live updates - Story - National - 3 News
Powerful aftershocks hit Christchurch - National - NZ Herald Pictures

GNS Science seismologist Jennifer Coppola said the earthquake would have felt stronger than last Monday's 5.5 magnitude aftershock, as it had a stronger peak ground acceleration. Ms Coppola said GNS Science had forecast between one and 10 aftershocks between magnitude 4 and 4.9, and between zero and two larger than magnitude 5 for Canterbury between May 19 and June 18. "So we've hit the magnitude 5 and above number - hopefully there are no more.

Some more damaged buildings
17 shakes in the last 24 hours (at 14:35) as Christchurch Quake Map - Earthquakes in the past 7 days.
Seems to be in the Port Hills area and not further out from Chch.
GeoNet Recent New Zealand Earthquakes