Christchuch set to demolish 10,000 houses and abandon parts of the city
ABOUT 10,000 houses and several hundred commercial buildings in Christchurch will have to be demolished because of earthquake damage, while some parts of the city will have to be abandoned altogether, New Zealand’s prime minister has said.
The magnitude 6.3 tremor that hit on 22 February shattered homes, shops and office blocks, and caused at least 166 deaths. Officials expect the toll to rise to more than 200 as rescuers continue to search for bodies among the rubble.
Prime minister John Key yesterday said about 10,000 houses will have to be demolished in the city, including 3,300 that were damaged by an earlier magnitude 7.1 quake on 4 September last year that caused far less damage. Several hundred commercial buildings in the downtown area will also have to be bulldozed, he said.