William shocked at devastation in Christchurch

Christchurch: Prince William yesterday expressed his shock at the devastation in earthquake-hit Christchurch after walking through the rubble to inspect the stricken New Zealand city first hand.

"It's just so sad," the Prince said as he surveyed the city centre, which was razed in last month's 6.3-magnitude tremor, adding "the scale of it is unbelievable."

The Prince, travelling without his bride-to-be Kate Middleton, was confronted with the sight of office blocks and shops that collapsed when the February 22 earthquake killed around 180 people and flattened much of the city.

The trip to Christchurch, which has been rocked by constant aftershocks since the earthuake, was the first stop on a five-day tour of disaster-hit areas of New Zealand and Australia.

The 28-year-old displayed none of the reserve normally associated with visiting royalty, acknowledging the emotional impact the city's plight had on him and offering heartfelt thanks to rescue workers and words of comfort to residents.

Presence appreciated

Christchurch resident James Sykes said locals appreciated his presence on a trip St James' Palace has described as a way for the royals to show support to Australians and New Zealanders following a string of recent disasters.

"I'm not what you would call a royalist but I'm just glad that someone in his shoes decided to come down here," Sykes said.

"It shows solidarity with the people."

Appearing relaxed and in good spirits after touching down at Christchurch airport, the Prince paused to hold an onlooker's baby and smiled as one woman yelled out: "Thank you so much for coming to Christchurch."

But the mood became sombre when he arrived in the city centre, the area worst hit in the disaster.

He was guided into Christchurch's "red zone", which is still closed to the public because of the danger from damaged buildings, including the city's landmark cathedral, reduced to a rubble-strewn shell.

Stark contrast

It was in stark contrast to the Prince's last visit to Christchurch in 2005 during a rugby union tour by the British and Irish Lions.

In a cruel twist of fate, Christchurch residents learned only a day before Prince William's arrival that the city had been stripped of its matches for this year's Rugby World Cup because the destruction was so extensive.

The Prince toured civil defence headquarters, where emergency crews have been working around the clock to help Christchurch recover since the disaster earlier this month.