A powerful new 5.1-magnitude aftershock rattled terrified residents of New Zealand's earthquake-stricken city of Christchurch today, as officials doubled their estimate for repairing the damage from nearly 300 aftershocks in five days.

Two separate investigations were launched today after a father-of-three was knocked down and killed by an ambulance in Co Kerry.

THE Christmas holiday period has been marked by a series of single-vehicle collisions that have claimed the lives of three young men in separate accidents.

Gardaí have named the man who died in a single-car crash on Sunday.