Emergency extended as more jolts rock Bay
PA Rotorua The state of emergency in Bay of Plenty will not be lifted at least until this morning, said the regional controller for Civil Defence, Mr Johnny Lepper, late yesterday.
Further tremors continue to rock some parts of eastern Bay of Plenty. Mr Lepper said an earthquake just after midday had toppled chimneys, and led tQ another house being evacuated in Kawerau.
The Mayor of Kawerau, Mrs Lyn Hartley, had asked that the state of emergency remain in force. Soon after noon, an earthquake measuring 4.25 on the Richter scale had shaken the town and people were still alarmed, she said.
Mr Lepper said he thought Mrs Hartley had appraised the situation realistically and her request should be heeded. Civil Defence workers were concerned that if the state of emergency were lifted, people would assume the threat from earthquakes was over. Seismologists had predicted more tremors of varying intensity. A statement would be made at 10 a.m. today on the regional state of emergency, he said. In Whakatane relief
workers have estimated the cost of rebuilding and restoring industries, services, buildings, and homes destroyed or damaged in Monday’s earthquake will run into tens of millions of dollars. More than 1000 aftershocks have followed the earthquake — New Zealand’s worst in 19 years — which measured 6.25 on the Richter scale.
Seismologists said tremors were occurring at the rate of one every two minutes, and four tremors yesterday had been recorded at more than 4 on the Richter scale. The aftershocks were expected to continue for several weeks.
The cost of rebuilding Bay Milk Products dairy factory at Edgecumbe could be as much as $3O million while the figure for the New Zealand Distillery Company next door has been put at several million dollars.
Building damage and equipment loss at Whakatane Hospital are expected to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The six-storey tower block at the hospital — which took
the brunt of the earthquakes — is expected to be closed for up to a year.
The cost of restoring roads, bridges, railways, and private property is still being assessed. No engineers were prepared to guess the total cost to the region. A team of 19 loss adjusters employed by the Earthquake and War Damage Commission is assessing compensation claims.
A loss adjuster visited the Tasman Pulp and Paper Company mill at Kawerau yesterday. The mill has been structurally damaged and is closed. Engineers have propped up walls so that machinery can be assessed.
The Matahina dam has been cleared by engineers, who said that damage was superficial. Immediately after the earthquakes 80 people were moved from below the dam face at Te Mahoe.
An Electricity Division spokesman said the dam had sunk an average of 20mm and up to 70mm in some places. Management of the Tasman Pulp and Paper mill says it will know today what work is needed to begin restoring the plant to production.
Structural engineers combed the site yesterday.
The mill was declared unsafe and closed after being damaged in Monday’s earthquake.
Tasman’s chief executive, Mr Gary Mace, said last evening that the engineers would determine what parts of the mill were safe enough to reenter and would draw up a schedule for repairs.
Once the safe areas had been identified workers could begin to examine damaged equipment. “At this stage we really have no idea when production will resume, but it is clear the mill will come back on stream in stages,” ,Mr Mace said.
“Most areas have stood up well, but the older parts of the plant have shown strain and will need substantial repairs and refitting.”
Further reports, page 4.
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Press, 5 March 1987, Page 1
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612Emergency extended as more jolts rock Bay Press, 5 March 1987, Page 1
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