Christchruch, New Zealand’s second largest city with a population of 350,000 was struck today by a massive earthquake which had a magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter scale. Although there was widespread damage in and around Christchurch, no significant injuries were reported. The quake was originally reported as a 7.4 on the Richter scale, however has since been lowered to a 7.0.

“It was like a freight train running through the house,” said Chris Monroe, who serves as the operations manager for the New Zealand Fire Department.

Approximately 20 minutes after the initial earthquake there was an aftershock that measured 5.7. The original quake was approximately 7.5 miles under the earths surface, and took place at 4:35 AM local time. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center indicated that there were no tsunami’s likely from this quake. Large scale power outages were reported throughout the New Zealand city of Christchruch as well as surrounding suburbs. Officials are worried that the power outages could become problematic because it is winter in the Southern hemisphere right now, meaning many residents will be without heat.