Mobiles for emergency calls in New Zealand

Telecom New Zealand and Vodafone have both issued statements asking people to only use their mobile phones for emergency calls after a massive earthquake hit Christchurch.
Phone lines have been congested as people try to reach their relatives.
Much of Telecom's network was working off of backup power, the company said, but it was attempting to add extra capacity to the mobile network.
Vodafone also tweeted that people should stick to text messages and short calls if at all possible.
Telecom said that those with landlines should use analogue phones as cordless phones will not work due to the loss of power in homes.
Free calling is now available from payphones around Christchurch.