All schools in Christchurch will stay closed for the rest of the week, officials announced Tuesday, four days after a 7.1-magnitude quake hit New Zealand's second-largest city, dpa reported. Authorities said scores of aftershocks made it necessary to inspect school buildings again to ensure their safety. Aid agencies said a growing number of children, whose trauma was compounded by every aftershock, needed counselling on a scale given to victims of war. More than 100,000 of Christchurch's 160,000 houses were damaged by the most devastating quake to hit New Zealand in nearly 90 years. Many structures, including about 100 built only five years ago at the seaside suburb of New Brighton, were likely to be condemned. About 30 buildings in the central business district, some dating to 1860, were deemed unsafe to enter. The army maintained a cordon around shops and offices where about 50,000 commuters usually worked, which remained closed. Engineers said two historic buildings, including a seven-storey structure that was Christchurch's tallest when it was built 104 years ago, would have to be demolished because they were beyond repair. A state of emergency remained in place and a night-time curfew enforced to prevent looting in the city centre. Authorities said the number of people seeking shelter at emergency welfare centres was growing as many realized that they would not be able to return to their damaged homes for weeks or even months.
