WASHINGTON – The United States sent a search and rescue team to New Zealand on Tuesday to help in the aftermath of a powerful, deadly earthquake that hit the country’s second city, the State Department said. Spokesman Philip Crowley said in a twitter message that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had phoned her counterpart to “express sorrow” over the disaster, which killed at least 65 people in Christchurch.
Clinton phoned New Zealand FM McCully to express sorrow over the earthquake in Christchurch. A US search and rescue team is enroute,” Crowley wrote. A statement from USAID said the team would include about 70 specialized staff, some from the Los Angeles County fire department, with equipment “to make live rescues in even the most precarious situations.”
“On behalf of the American people, I wish to convey our sympathy, thoughts and prayers to the people of New Zealand who have been affected by this devastating earthquake,” said USAID administrator Rajiv Shah. “We stand ready to assist the government of New Zealand in any way we can.” The tremor hit at lunchtime Tuesday, toppling buildings and leaving downtown Christchurch strewn with debris. The city’s landmark cathedral lost its spire.
