This year is the first without an official event to mark the anniversary of the deadly Christchurch earthquake, due to Covid-19 restrictions and the Omicron outbreak.
185 people were killed by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in 2011.
Tuesday’s commemoration saw informal events, and a pre-recorded tribute by the Christchurch City Council which went online.
Christchurch city Mayor Lianne Dalziel said it was a Tuesday when the earthquake struck, so the 2022 anniversary was a “pretty poignant reminder of what was a devastating event”.
The Christchurch City Council’s tribute went online at 12:51pm to avoid crowds gathering due to Covid restrictions.
Seeking closure
Eleven years on and some family members of those who died in the quake are still looking for answers.
Maan Alkaisi’s wife Maysoon Abbas died in the CTV building with 114 others.
He’s fighting for someone to be held accountable, with criminal charges ruled out and an Engineering New Zealand investigation that is still ongoing.
Police have said they would not prosecute but recommended manslaughter charges be filed against the building's engineers in a 2017 report for the Crown solicitor.
“There is a bitterness that even after 11 years there's no closure.. so you feel that it's still a wound that's open and not healed yet,” Alkaisi said.
Some homeowners are also still wrestling with unsettled insurance claims, including former city councillor Sue Wells.
“I can't move on and for me every day is February 22nd,” Wells said.
Of the more than half a million insurance claims there are still more than 1150 home owners dealing with EQC or their private insurers - the majority are reopened cases. More than 100 of which are in dispute.
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