British nationals caught up in a deadly earthquake that killed more than 65 people on New Zealand's South Island have spoken of the chaos and devastation following the crippling natural disaster.

The powerful 6.3-magnitude quake struck around six miles outside Christchurch during lunchtime, causing widespread destruction and injury.

Eyewitnesses said the three-mile deep tremor, believed to be an aftershock from a 7.1 magnitude earthquake which struck last September, levelled high-rise buildings, tore up footpaths and sprayed rubble onto the streets below. A state of emergency has been declared in the city with collapsed debris and buildings trapping an unknown number of people.

British backpacker Christopher Ratcliffe, 27, was forced to shelter under a desk in Christchurch library when the quake struck.

He said: "When I came outside the city looked like a bomb had hit it. There was dust and smoke in the air and bits of glass and rubble falling from the tops of buildings. People were walking around covered in blood and in tears - it was just shocking."

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