Families visit earthquake sites
Source: Agencies |
March 3, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
ANGUISHED family members visited collapsed buildings yesterday where bodies of their loved ones lie trapped more than a week after New Zealand's earthquake, as officials said some remains may never be recovered from the rubble.
An official tour of the worst-hit sites in the February 22 disaster was the first time many relatives had been so close to the places where the estimated 240 victims died.
"The mood was somber and it was very emotional for them," police Superintendent Dave Cliff said. About 250 foreigners and 100 New -Zealanders were among the family members who went on the trip.
An unknown number of students and staff from China, Japan and other countries were at an English-language school in one of the two office buildings that completely collapsed in the 6.3-magnitude quake. Police said that up to 120 bodies were inside the Canterbury Television building where the language school was located.
Cliff said five more bodies had been pulled from the rubble by recovery teams overnight Tuesday and yesterday, taking the confirmed death toll to 160. Cliff has said the final tally is likely to be around 240.
Police said the bodies of some victims may never be recovered because they were pulverized by the buildings that collapsed around them.
Authorities have asked for patience from families waiting for news of missing relatives
An official tour of the worst-hit sites in the February 22 disaster was the first time many relatives had been so close to the places where the estimated 240 victims died.
"The mood was somber and it was very emotional for them," police Superintendent Dave Cliff said. About 250 foreigners and 100 New -Zealanders were among the family members who went on the trip.
An unknown number of students and staff from China, Japan and other countries were at an English-language school in one of the two office buildings that completely collapsed in the 6.3-magnitude quake. Police said that up to 120 bodies were inside the Canterbury Television building where the language school was located.
Cliff said five more bodies had been pulled from the rubble by recovery teams overnight Tuesday and yesterday, taking the confirmed death toll to 160. Cliff has said the final tally is likely to be around 240.
Police said the bodies of some victims may never be recovered because they were pulverized by the buildings that collapsed around them.
Authorities have asked for patience from families waiting for news of missing relatives
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
