'I could feel the ground roll': Severe 5.7 magnitude earthquake hits Christchurch

Christchurch residents have spoken of the moment a severe 5.7 magnitude earthquake rocked the city today.

The quake is reported to have hit at a depth of 31km, 15km east of Christchurch at 1.13pm New Zealand time.

Smaller aftershocks have been felt and residents have spoken of how long it went on for. Paramedics are responding to a number of calls from people who fell as the earthquake hit.

The quake struck a week before the fifth anniversary of a deadly 6.3 tremor in Christchurch which killed 185 in one of New Zealand's deadliest disasters.

Helen Holland, from Halswell, south-west of Christchurch CBD, told Yahoo7: "I was at home when it hit and the house shook, it felt big. You could feel the ground roll for a good few minutes after the shake."

NZ Herald reports that a spokesman from the southern fire communications center said they 'felt the quake' but had not yet received any calls and didn't know if any buildings been damaged.

Jason Street, 38, from Rangiora, which is about 25km north of Christchurch CBD, told Yahoo7: "It was pretty bad, I ran outside pretty quick. It felt like it lasted ages but it was only around 25 to 30 seconds.

"It wasn't as bad as the quakes in February 2011 however it was still very scary.

"I was just inside watching the NZ vs Australia cricket test having lunch. I put the lunch away and went outside once it started to get worse. It started off pretty small and developed into a large quake quickly."

There are reports of damage in some areas of the city and huge dust clouds have been photographed near Sumner.

Residents are being warned to stay away from cliff sides and to check on elderly neighbours as soon as possible.

The Rebuild Christchurch Facebook page said that Riccarton Mall, Northlands Mal, Merivale Mall and Hornby Dressmart have all been evacuated.

According to Christchurch Quake Map there were up to 20 aftershocks recorded in the hour after the first shake.