By: Trevor Loudon
New Zeal

From Hawke’s Bay Today:

Staff who work for the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), based in Christchurch, are among those missing following yesterday’s devastating earthquake.

The USAP, which is managed by the National Science Foundation (NSF), said on its website it had accounted for 60 percent of the people in the program who were in New Zealand when the earthquake hit.

“NSF is deeply concerned about the welfare of those people affiliated with Antarctic Program who, as yet, have not been accounted for and remains hopeful that they will be discovered to be safe and sound,” the statement said.

Many of those unaccounted for may be on personal travel within New Zealand, and not necessarily in Christchurch, the statement said.