Two seriously injured in New Zealand quake

Two men who were seriously injured by falling masonry and glass were reported to be the only serious casualties of a 7.4 earthquake which hit the New Zealand city of Christchurch early Saturday, dpa reported.

Officials said mass casualties in the South Island's biggest city of nearly 400,000 people were avoided by the timing of the quake, at 4:35 am.

Police closed the central business district, where buildings collapsed and roads were ripped up, because of the continuing danger of further collapses as aftershocks continued to shake the city.