Fragments: First-hand accounts of the February 2011 Earthquake rnz.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rnz.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Gerard and Judy Burgers said their son’s best friend died in the CTV building. “It doesn’t get any easier,” Judy said. Gerard said the mental and emotional damage will remain for a lifetime, and it was important “not to forget”.
Joseph Johnson/Stuff
Gerard and Judy Burgers say their son lost his best friend in the CTV building collapse. Kate Collins, who was the family liaison officer for the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission, also stopped to drop some flowers into the Heathcote River. “I was the first point of call for families who had lost someone in the earthquake . It was such a privilege to work with them, keep them informed about how the commission worked.
Topi Emery spent five hours trapped in the rubble of the CTV building. In the 10 years since, he's battled with the trauma of thinking he would die in a dark hole.