Cliff collapse and large sinkhole in response to Christchurch earthquake, New Zealand

A cliff collapsed near the Taylor's Mistake Bay, Christchurch, New Zealand, on February 14, 2016, following an M5.7 earthquake recorded east of the city. Also, a large sinkhole formed on a Bower Ave, a local street in Christchurch, and the local road workers are worried more hidden dangers might be lurking under the surface.

A large and shallow earthquake registered by New Zealand's GeoNet as M5.7 hit 15 km east of Christchurch, New Zealand at 00:13 UTC (13:13 local time) on February 14, 2016. The agency reported a depth of 15 km (9.3 miles) while USGS recorded M5.8 at a depth of 8.2 km (5.1 miles). The quake was followed by a series of aftershocks.

Video credit: RNZ Checkpoint

A 3 m (9.8 feet) long, 1 m (3.3 feet) deep void appeared outside the home of Tosh Prodanov, near Crofts Lane in Parkland during liquefaction after the earthquake. According to his report, the sewage, mixed with the silty grey mud, was bubbling up from the ground.

Phillip Jonker, the site traffic management supervisor, warned the roads in the region are treacherous, and very risky: "You can't tell what is going on under the road surface – there could be holes, you just can't see them. It's very risky especially for heavy vehicles."

The road has been partially blocked and local authorities were clearing liquefaction from driveways and roads on February 15.

Video credit: Breaking Disaster

Video credit: Louisb nz

Video credit: YeahNah Productions

A cliff near Taylor's Mistake Bay collapsed after the quake on February 14, and parts of the cliff retreated 5 m (16 feet), according to Jan Kupec Linz, a geotechnical engineer. A few people narrowly escaped the collapse, but, luckily, no injuries were reported.

Featured image: A collapse of the cliff near Taylor's Mistake Bay, Christchurch, February 15, 2016. Image credit: Breaking Disaster