The Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key, has arrived in Christchurch to assess the damage to the stricken city and show his solidarity with residents of the city, according to press material from the PM’s office.

Prime Minister Key’s aircraft flew over the city in order to view the damage before being met by Bob Parker, the Mayor of Christchurch who has said it is a miracle everyone survived the quake.

Christchurch is the commercial heart of South Island in New Zealand, but has been brought almost to a standstill Saturday as its 400,000 residents survey the extensive damage.

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck at 4.35am near the city at a depth of just 6 miles, which resulted in a far more violent quake than would otherwise have been the case.

Throughout the city, buildings collapsed and many roads have been damaged, the city’s sewage, water and electricity systems are also non-functional and Parker has indicated the city may begin drawing water from the Avon River temporarily.

The mayor added that power should be restored by nightfall, but that the sewage and water systems would take much longer and local authorities are urging residents to use water sparingly.

A state of emergency remains in place after police and emergency services found themselves unable to maintain civil order as looters began targeting stores in the blackout following the earthquake.

Officials have estimated the damage to be around $2 billion, which is roughly the entire operational budget of the local government.

“I think we've been extremely lucky as a nation that there’s been no fatalities,” said Civil Defense Minister John Carter after a crisis meeting of cabinet. “We’re blessed actually.”

As Christchurch as a city and the wider country take stock of the damage, the nation’s narrow escape has elicited some amusement.

The New Zealand Prime Minister told reporters in Christchurch that he’d found out about the earthquake when his sister sent him a text message, when asked what she’d said Key told the press pack it wasn’t up to broadcasting standards.