Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) faced a massive challenge in the aftermath of the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes. One hundred and fifty NZUSAR staff from around the country searched buildings, cut through rubble, rescued people, and recovered bodies. Prominent after the emergency were the tags painted on damaged buildings, cars, and piles of rubble, so that search and rescue teams did not search these sites twice.
This photograph was taken on 22 February 2011 as emergency personnel, including members of USAR and the Fire Service, searched the pancaked Pyne Gould Corporation building, which had collapsed within minutes of the earthquake. Eighteen people died in this building.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
CEISMIC Canterbury Earthquake Digital Archive
Reference: 135254
by Neil Macbeth
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.