Geoff Sloan / New Zealand Herald via AP

This aerial photo shows the Burwood and New Brighton areas damaged by liquefaction after a 5.8-magnitude quake struck Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday Dec 23, 2011. A series of strong earthquakes struck Christchurch on Friday, rattling buildings, sending goods tumbling from shelves and prompting terrified holiday shoppers to flee into the streets. There was no tsunami alert issued and the city appeared to have been spared major damage.

Simon Baker / Reuters

Sewage (bottom and right) spreads past a car trapped in a sink hole caused by liquefaction in the Christchurch suburb of Parklands after an earthquake struck December 23, 2011.

A series of strong earthquakes struck the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday, rattling buildings, sending goods tumbling from shelves and prompting terrified holiday shoppers to flee into the streets. There was no tsunami alert issued and the city appeared to have been spared major damage. Continue reading...

Martin Hunter / Getty Images

The remains of a damaged house at Shag Rock near Sumner after the cliff fell away during two magnitude 6.0 and 5.5 earthquakes struck on June 13 in Christchurch, New Zealand. The aftershocks came four months after the major eathquake which hit the city on February 22, resulting in the deaths of 181 people.

Martin Hunter / Getty Images

A car stands in water after two magnitude 6.0 and 5.5 earthquakes struck on June 13 in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The AP reports from WELLINGTON, New Zealand:

A series of aftershocks rattled New Zealand's quake-devastated city of Christchurch again Monday, toppling one of the few buildings still standing downtown and sinking thousands of homes into darkness.

Bricks came crashing down in the cordoned-off city center, where only workers have tread since it was devastated in February's major earthquake. About 200 people were there when the quakes struck Monday, and two were briefly trapped in a church. In all, 10 people were injured in the city.

"We are being enveloped with dust," Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker told New Zealand's National Radio. "It is very, very scary." Continue reading.