Christchurch: aftershocks rattle city

It’s been 12 days since the city succumbed to a 6.3 magnitude earthquake which left the downtown core in ruins. However, the city is still getting aftershocks. Today’s news reports are talking of a 4.8 shock just last night and this hasn’t been the only one in the past week and a half. The NZ Herald quoted a city employee as saying that there is so much damage; it is hard to tell what additional damage may be caused by an aftershock.

Cathedral

It has been feared since the quake that possibly 22 people could have been buried in the rubble that was once the spire of Christchurch Cathedral. This favourite with tourists provided a spectacular view of the city and was ofttimes visited by people wanting to climb the steps for the great view. Just after the quake, one lady who had just exited the church claimed there were others behind her and it was thought there were people either climbing up or coming down the spire when the force of the quake toppled the structure.

Search crews have been completely through the church and have now given the all clear, no bodies had been found. The official death toll currently stands at 165 and it is thought the number could go up to 240. Now the question is, if the 22 people thought to be in the church were not there, where are they?

CTV Building

Rescue crews continue to work on this building which totally collapsed. It is thought that 120 people were in the building at the time of the quake and the subsequent collapse of the entire structure would have buried all of them trapping their bodies under the rubble. Considering the amount of debris, it is taking quite a bit of time to sift through the remains of the building to find victims. TVNZ reported today that police said another 2 bodies were recovered from CTV.

Expedia

This travel company has egg on its face after it inadvertently e-mailed promotional materials for New Zealand featuring a picture of the intact Christchurch Cathedral. During the quake, the spire of the church collapsed and the main building was severely damaged. Apparently the information was put together before the quake and the e-mailing went ahead without anybody checking the contents. The company issued a statement apologising for the mistake and saying everything was removed from its web site as soon as the company realised its blunder. (Herald Sun)

Wikipedia

The free on-line encyclopaedia has a comprehensive article covering all aspects of the quake from the geology of the area, the quake and the aftermath. The technical explanations of this seismic event are very “scientific”(read: incomprehensible). They talk about how the earth shifts and the acceleration caused by this movement and the effect it has on buildings. There is this telling statement: The acceleration experienced in February 2011 would “totally flatten” most world cities, causing massive loss of life; in Christchurch, New Zealand’s stringent building codes limited the disaster. Looking at the pictures of Christchurch, one wonders what would have happened in another city.

Wikipedia also have an article entitled “List of New Zealand disasters by death toll” and the Christchurch quake is listed as number three on the list with 165 plus indicated for the number of dead. With estimates putting the eventual count at 240, this list is going to change.

2011 Rugby World Cup

New Zealand is set to host this sporting event which runs from September 10, 2011 to October 22, 2011. The AMI stadium in Christchurch was supposed to be one of venues but is now closed as experts check the damages. Will the city be ready before the September kick-off? Beyond the stadium, there is the question of transportation and accommodations for the event.

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