A north Canterbury woman says this evening's 5.7 aftershock has toppled chimneys and sent people out onto the streets of Waikari, north of Christchurch.
The quake struck 15km southeast of Culverden at 6.13pm, and was 7km deep. More than 4000 people have recorded feeling the quake on GeoNet, from Auckland to Invercargill.
Hillary Louis lives near Waikari and told RadioLIVE's Karyn Hay the earthquake left her screaming in panic.
"[We were] just watching the news and the first one hit, it was like an explosion going under the house."
She says it is not just her house that was affected.
"Now we are all congregated at one neighbour's house and we are all outside so we are sleeping outside tonight, we can't go back in the houses because they are so badly damaged."
And she says the quakes won't stop.
"We are right in the zone, everyone is out of their houses, we've got lots of damage and they keep continuing every two minutes."
Since this evening's 5.7 quake, dozens of earthquakes have struck the area several measuring above 4.0 magnitude.
Hurunui District Council says it knows about five houses that have been badly damaged in the aftershock.
Emergency Management Officer Allan Grigg told Newshub at least three chimneys were brought down during the shake while three or four families self-evacuated from their homes.
Mr Grigg said properties on Waikari Valley road and Scargill Valley road were worst affected.
He said it is not yet known if the damage is structural or just superficial but he says engineers will be out to inspect the properties at first light.
Hurunui District Mayor Winton Dalley had also visited the area to check on residents left shaken by the aftershock.
"The mayor has been up to the area, everyone is out of their houses, it's going to be a bad night," Ms Louis says.
Newshub.
