SEVERAL SERIOUS AFTERSHOCKS have hit the New Zealand city of Christchurch, nearly four months after the earthquake that killed 181 people.

A quake of magnitude 5.2 struck at Taylor’s Mistake beach about six miles from the city centre, BBC News reports, with a second quake of magnitude 6.0 striking an hour later, shaking buildings and causing a number of injuries.

The New Zealand Herald reports that there has been no loss of life or serious injuries in the quakes but there was significant additional damage to the red zone which was badly damaged by the 22 February quake.

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker described that area as a “mess” but that it was to be expected.

Residents in some parts of the city have been asked to conserve water use and around 50,000 homes remain without power.

Witnesses told the Chrischurch Press how a road split down the middle and geysers spurted liquefaction and water onto the road.

Another resident told how the contents of his fridge emptied during the tremors.

The site also posted this raw video of the magnitude  5.5 quake as experienced by one city resident:

Witness accounts collated by the New Zealand Herald given a sense of the feelings of those in Christchurch with many wondering just when it will end.

One witness posting on Facebook: “When will all the earthquakes end for Christchurch.”

Ironically an inquiry had just begun today into the collapse of one of the buildings destroyed in the February quake but this had to be evacuated following the latest aftershocks.

BBC News adds that the recovery and reconstruction costs of February’s quake are expected to hit nearly €8 billion.