Public return to earthquake area
Source: Agencies |
March 7, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
POLICE cordons around the most devastated section of New Zealand's earthquake-struck city of Christchurch were relaxed yesterday, allowing people to salvage valuables nearly two weeks after a temblor that killed at least 166 people.
Meanwhile, the government forecast that last month's quake, combined with a larger but less destructive one that hit the Christchurch region in September, will almost halve New Zealand's economic growth this year.
Long lines formed as people waited for a cordon that had been thrown around the devastated central business district of the country's second-largest city following the February 22 quake to be temporarily opened yesterday morning.
Mechanic Rick Crosbie said he was relieved that he would soon be able to visit his garage, but was also scared of what he might find.
"I don't know what's going to happen until I get in there and see what the building is like," he said as he waited for a roadblock to be lifted. "I'm worried about getting customers' cars."
The government's Treasury yesterday released an estimate that February's magnitude 6.3 quake, combined with September's magnitude 7.1 temblor, would cost around 15 billion New Zealand dollars (US$11 billion). That figure is less than Prime Minister John Key's earlier estimate of NZ$20 billion.
The Treasury also expects the disasters to slow economic growth by 1.5 percentage points, to 2 percent, for the calendar year, before the economy gathers pace again in 2012 on the strength of reconstruction work.
Meanwhile, the government forecast that last month's quake, combined with a larger but less destructive one that hit the Christchurch region in September, will almost halve New Zealand's economic growth this year.
Long lines formed as people waited for a cordon that had been thrown around the devastated central business district of the country's second-largest city following the February 22 quake to be temporarily opened yesterday morning.
Mechanic Rick Crosbie said he was relieved that he would soon be able to visit his garage, but was also scared of what he might find.
"I don't know what's going to happen until I get in there and see what the building is like," he said as he waited for a roadblock to be lifted. "I'm worried about getting customers' cars."
The government's Treasury yesterday released an estimate that February's magnitude 6.3 quake, combined with September's magnitude 7.1 temblor, would cost around 15 billion New Zealand dollars (US$11 billion). That figure is less than Prime Minister John Key's earlier estimate of NZ$20 billion.
The Treasury also expects the disasters to slow economic growth by 1.5 percentage points, to 2 percent, for the calendar year, before the economy gathers pace again in 2012 on the strength of reconstruction work.
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