Christchurch Has Come Long Way Since Deadly Quake

Christchurch had survived earthquakes before, but the seismic jolt that hit on February 22, 2011, had a shallow epicentre of just 5km on a previously unknown fault that lay directly under the city. The results were devastating: office buildings crumpled, jagged fissures opened up on busy roads, and shop awnings collapsed on to pedestrians who moments before had been enjoying a lunchtime stroll. Agence France-Presse (AFP) New Zealand and Pacific correspondent Neil Sands reports a decade on in a story published by The Australian.

In the city centre, repair work is under way on the neo-Gothic Anglican cathedral that was once the symbol of Christchurch but has been fenced off since sustaining major damage in the quake, Sands writes.

The retail precinct is bustling and several major projects are on the way, including a convention centre and a sports stadium.

“We’ve come a long way. We’ve still got a long way to go but I really do think that as a city we’ve turned the corner,” Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel said.

Original article by Neil Sands, AFP, The Australian, February 21, 2021.