Earthquake in Christchurch

Our trip to New Zealand was modified because the hotel we were to stay at had not completed repairs.  We stayed outside of town and took a day trip into the city.  We were told that every building sustained some damage from small cracks in stucco to high rise buildings that would have to be demolished.  Here are a few photos of what we saw.

Buildings with wood frames and brick exteriors often lost the bricks but stayed standing.

A large part of the city center is fenced off because of the danger and demolition activity.

You see these braces all over town holding up buildings that are at risk of falling down.  I guess they'll be attended to later.  The volume of work to be done is hard to grasp.

Lots of movement.  Near this poll was a stone bridge over a river with huge cracks in it.

Many of these building will have to come down.

If you look closely you can see major cracks in this facade, like so many older buildings in town.

Even the mighty will fall - this one has to come down too - and many other high rises.