Prince William shaken by devastation as he returns to quake-hit Christchurch
Prince William was visibly shocked as he toured a New Zealand city devastated by an earthquake.
Returning a year after his first official foreign visit there, William met survivors and rescuers in Christchurch, hit by a 6.3-force quake that killed 166 on February 22.
Firefighter Terry Gyde, 50, told the prince how a Japanese student was rescued from the Canterbury TV building in which 100 perished. "She was trapped by her foot and it took us about an hour to get her out," Mr Gyde said.
"The doctor came inside with us and we were going to amputate her foot. We went through the process of preparing her and we gave it one last go and managed to free her."
William, 28, who is travelling without fiancée Kate Middleton because he is representing the Queen, saw the scale of devastation in New Zealand's second city, which was also hit by a quake last September.
He toured the "red zone", a restricted area that bore the brunt of what was described as "New Zealand's darkest day". Shattered buildings, including Christchurch Cathedral, are a reminder of the force of the quake, and the normally bustling city is eerily quiet.
A car crushed by the cathedral's spire when it fell still lies in the square, covered by rocks. Hundreds of homes remain without running water, and officials say it may take years to rebuild the city.
Yesterday William and Miss Middleton included the Christchurch earthquake appeal among 26 charities that will benefit from the royal wedding.
Urban Search And Rescue manager Steve Barclay told the prince his own home had been condemned. William, a RAF search and rescue pilot, told workers: "There was a lot of us who work in the military who were gnashing our teeth to come out here."
But there were also lighter moments. As he posed for a picture with rescue workers, one handed the prince his cap. William joked: "Smells a bit dodgy." He also rubbed noses - known as a hongi - with Maori elders.
William later visited the Pike River Coal Mine in Greymouth where 29 trapped miners, including two Britons, were killed in a gas explosion in November. He met families of the victims privately.
Tomorrow he will address a memorial service for the earthquake victims before flying to Australia for three days to see the flood damage caused by Cyclone Yasi.
