WELLINGTON, New Zealand : Hundreds of people in Christchurch gathered today to commemorate the fifth anniversary of an earthquake which killed 185 people.
One message made by speakers at the botanical gardens service was that while New Zealand's second-largest city has come a long way since the devastating magnitude-6.1 quake, there is still much work to be done.
"There is still some way to go until Christchurch is truly reborn," said Governor-General Jerry Mateparae.
Speakers also mentioned the disquiet they felt when the region was rattled again last week by an earthquake, one of the strongest since 2011. That quake knocked items from shelves and triggered rock falls but didn't cause major damage.
Emergency responders and officials representing more than a dozen foreign nations were among those who read out the names of each of the victims who died in the earthquake on February 22, 2011.
Mateparae said the quake changed the region forever.
"We recall the ordered streets and gracious buildings of a city renowned for its style and substance," he said. "We recall how, in an instant, that physical landscape was shattered. We recall how dust and the sound of sirens filled the air."
He said many people have faced exhaustion, stress, frustration and financial hardship in the years since, but that he hopes the end of that period is fast approaching and people can look at their city with renewed optimism and energy.
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said there was an incredible opportunity to reimagine and reinvent the city.
"But we must acknowledge there are still many people who have unanswered questions," she said. "People with unresolved insurance claims, people who are still living in the houses that were damaged five years ago. None of them with any certainty of when they will find closure."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
One message made by speakers at the botanical gardens service was that while New Zealand's second-largest city has come a long way since the devastating magnitude-6.1 quake, there is still much work to be done.
"There is still some way to go until Christchurch is truly reborn," said Governor-General Jerry Mateparae.
Emergency responders and officials representing more than a dozen foreign nations were among those who read out the names of each of the victims who died in the earthquake on February 22, 2011.
Advertisement
"We recall the ordered streets and gracious buildings of a city renowned for its style and substance," he said. "We recall how, in an instant, that physical landscape was shattered. We recall how dust and the sound of sirens filled the air."
Advertisement
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said there was an incredible opportunity to reimagine and reinvent the city.
Advertisement
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Paris Olympics 2024: India Beat New Zealand 3-2 in Men's Hockey Opener India vs New Zealand Men's Hockey Olympics 2024: Harmanpreet Singh's Late Goal Sees India Beat NZ In Thriller India vs New Zealand Live Streaming Olympics 2024 Men's Hockey Live Telecast: When And Where To Watch 3 Students Dead After Flooding In Delhi Coaching Centre Basement At Olympics Opening Ceremony, Drag Parody Of 'The Last Supper' Draws Flak Kamala Harris Cuts Down Donald Trump's Lead Sharply, Show Latest Polls "Will Pay Heavy Price": Netanyahu Warns Hezbollah After Air Strike Kills 11 "Will Pay Heavy Price": Netanyahu Warns Hezbollah After Strike Kills 10 "It's British. We're Used To Rain": UK PM Shrugs Off Paris Olympics Photo Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.