Two major earthquakes hit Christchurch this afternoon, triggering rockfalls and more liquefaction.

Just as residents thought their run of earthquakes were over, the city has been rocked again.

The first quake struck on a beautiful sunny Christchurch day. At 1:58pm a violent jolt shook the earth, measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale.

Just over an hour later, a magnitude 6 quake left residents scrambling for cover.
In the eastern suburbs, the areas worst hit in the last quakes are again seeing liquefaction flowing in the streets.

Pictures obtained by 3 News show dust rising from rock falls in the Redcliffs area.

In eastern Christchurch, mud and water bubbled to the surface.

The scene was all too familiar for those trying to get back on track and clean up after February's big quake.

Resident Virginia Broadbent told 3 News how her house had been flooded by more than a foot of water.

"I'm dumbfounded really," she says. "I can't believe it happened around Christmas. I don't care that I have flooding all through the house. But I've got all my Christmas shopping done."

Christchurch Airport was evacuated, creating backlogs elsewhere.

Checks were carried out before it reopened again this afternoon.

Emergency services scrambled to ensure everyone was out of shopping malls - on what was ne of the busiest days before Christmas.

People were staying in the way under the beams stopping people getting out of the mall. It was quite scary," says resident Peter Abrahamson. "And the look on peoples faces...it was incredible."

In all there were four large quakes this afternoon. St John Ambulance responded to at least 19 people with various ailments - some had collapsed, had panic attacks or chest pains.

Phone services were disrupted and about 26,000 Orion customers are without power in the eastern suburbs, including New Brighton and Dallington.