Christchurch plans to honour quake dead one year on

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WELLINGTON: Civic leaders in New Zealand’s earthquake battered city of Christchurch Monday outlined plans to mark the first anniversary of the magnitude-6.3 tremor that killed at least 181 people on Feb 22 last year.

The plans feature a 90-minute civic memorial service from midday at one of the city’s main parks followed by the conferring of Christchurch Earthquake Awards to honor those who helped in the aftermath, reports Xinhua news agency quoting a statement from the city council.

“Following the events in North Hagley Park, it is expected that Christchurch residents will organize their own community events across the city,” said the statement.

Mayor Bob Parker said he believed the public events would provide an opportunity for Christchurch residents to come together as a community.

“We experienced tremendous loss in 2011 and while it is important to remember those lost, we also need to look ahead to the future as a community,” he said in the statement.

“The public commemorative events will provide us with the opportunity to collectively reflect on the events of the past year.”

The service on Wednesday, Feb 22, would include musical accompaniment Christchurch school children.

“We will then recognise our earthquake heroes during the presentation of the Christchurch Earthquake Awards event,” said Parker.

A two-minute silence would be observed from 12.51 pm, the time the earthquake struck.

More than 9,500 tremors have hit Christchurch and the surrounding Canterbury region since a magnitude-7.1 quake on Sept 4, 2010, and scientists told a city council briefing last week that the tremors could continue for decades.  – Bernama