When most people imagine New Zealand, they conjure images from “Lord of the Rings” which was filmed there.

The island nation in the South Pacific is truly as beautiful as the pictures suggest with high Alp-like mountains, fjords, hot springs and tropical forests.

But New Zealand, about the size of California also suffers from earthquakes, lots of earthquakes… approximately 250 per year.

Earlier this week a brutal earthquake struck near one of the country’s largest cities, Christchurch. The tremor incurred terrible human cost: 75 dead and over 300 missing. Much of the town of 400,000 is without water and electricity and will likely remain that way for the foreseeable future.

Rescuers are still locating people buried in the rubble. Meanwhile strong aftershocks continue to frighten residents.

Just like the tragic earthquake in Haiti in 2010, the images from the devastation are shocking and saddening.

A sobering reminder of the brutal forces lurking just beneath our feet.