A record number of babies were born in the aftermath of the earthquake, hospital officials said yesterday.

A spokesman for Christchurch Women’s hospital said 21 babies were born at its maternity ward in the 24 hours after the tremor, which damaged buildings and roads in New Zealand’s worst quake disaster in decades.

“In the 24 hours post earthquake, 21 babies were born at Christchurch Women’s hospital and that’s a record for a Saturday,” a hospital official said, without offering an explanation.

The first newborn arrived within 10 minutes of the quake, which saw roads gridlocked as residents rushed to higher ground to escape a potential tsunami.

Meanwhile, Miriam Garcia was in labour at home when the quake struck and had just decided to head for the hospital.

“I couldn’t believe the timing,” the new mum, who delivered baby Amelia about two hours later, told The Press newspaper. “I had a lot of false labours in the weeks before and I was thinking, ‘Now it’s happening?’”

Baby boy Lincoln arrived safely, and first-time mum Ms Weeks said she suspected the shock of the quake was enough to jolt others into delivering their newborns.