Calgarians with family and friends in New Zealand are concerned after a heavy quake rocked the city of Christchurch in the middle of the afternoon.
The 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit the country's second largest city on Monday and emergency workers are still trying to reach the dozens of people trapped under the rubble.
Witnesses say the quake toppled telephone and power lines, a portion of a cathedral, and many tall buildings with no warning, leaving victims with no time to escape.
Andrew Shorter has lived in Calgary for about two years now and he says his 70-year-old mother lives by herself about an hour from Christchurch.
Shorter has been on the phone and the computer with family and friends back home trying to find out what's going on. He says it's difficult being so far away at times like these.
"I was on the phone to mom last night and she was okay and I was up at six this morning. "said Shorter, "I didn't sleep that well, back and forth on the email, yeah, it's pretty scary."
Andrew Shorter is hoping Calgarians and Canadians will open their hearts and their wallets to help the people of Christchurch.
A facebook page has been set up with the latest on rescue efforts and information about making donations.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said early Tuesday it had no reports of Canadians affected by the quake.
Anyone seeking information on Canadians believed to be in New Zealand can contact Foreign Affairs at 1-800-387-3124.
(With files from The Associated Press, the Canadian Press, and CTV.ca)
