Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has gathered with hundreds of people to observe a minute's silence on the anniversary of the devastating 2011 earthquake. Flags were lowered to honor the 185 people who died.
Ardern also remembered 87 foreign victims of the quake, saying 'Our flags fly at half-mast for them today too' Image: Peter Meecham/Getty Images
Hundreds of people gathered at a memorial service in the South Island city, where they observed a minute's silence at 12:51 p.m., the time the 6.3 magnitude quake hit in 2011.
Hundreds gathered at the memorial service on the banks of the Avon RiverImage: Peter Meecham/Getty Images
"Ten years on there will be people still living their daily lives with the long shadow of that day," Ardern said.
"But as we look ahead to the coming decade, I see hope and energy and optimism," she added.
Remembering the CTV building tragedy
Maan Alkaisi, a representative of Quake Families Trust, also spoke at the memorial. The university professor has spent years campaigning for justice; his wife, Maysoon Abbas, who was among 115 people killed in the collapse of the CTV building.
"Today reminds us of our responsibility to make sure we learn from this tragic experience and honor those lovely people we lost by ensuring their dreams are kept alive, by ensuring this will not happen again," he said.
The six-story office building collapsed and burst into flames after 20 seconds of the quake, claiming the highest number of casualties, including 65 international students.
Rescue efforts after Christchurch quake
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An official investigation later concluded that the building never should have been built with its poor design. In the years since the disaster, New Zealand has tightened its construction codes.
Honoring Christchurch's Japanese victims
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel also paid tribute to 28 Japanese people who died in the quake, the largest number of victims from any country outside of New Zealand.
"I especially wanted to mention all the Japanese family members who I last year met in Japan and who so wanted to be here," she said. "We are forever connected by this tragedy and we do not forget you even when we are apart. You are with us in spirit."
Family members and school officials in the northern Japanese city of Toyama held a separate memorial service to honor 12 students who lost their lives, Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported.
The 12 Japanese students were having lunch at an English language school for international students when the quake destroyed the building.
Earthquakes: The most endangered regions
After the devastating earthquake in Nepal, the death toll is still on the rise. What other regions in the world also face the threat of strong quakes, and what consequences could they have?
Image: Reuters/N. Chitrakar
Where the earth shakes
Seven tectonic plates make up our earth's surface. Where they meet, chances for an earthquake are the highest. In Nepal, the tectonic collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate caused a dramatic quake on April 25, 2015. It's one of the seven places on earth most prone to earthquakes.
Bhaktapur, Nepal (before)
In the valley of Kathmandu, seven cultural World Heritage sites draw Nepalese and international visitors alike. Here, people are celebrating the Gaijatra Festival at the historic square in Bhaktapur in August 2014.
Image: picture alliance/landov
Bhaktapur, Nepal (after)
Volunteer workers try to rescue people from beneath the ruins of collapsed temples - they have nothing but their bare hands to dig with. The 2015 Nepalese earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people.
Image: Reuters/D. Siddiqui
Japanese coast (now)
Japan is known as an earthquake specialist, building its skyscrapers on moving foundations that can absorb the earth's shocks during a quake. It's also known for its nuclear power plants. In 2010, the Takahama power plant (pictured above, on the other side of the island from Fukushima) was one of 55, producing a third of the country's energy needs.
Image: AFP/Getty Images/JIJI Press
Japanese coast (then)
Japan is more than 5,000 kilometers (3,107 miles) from Nepal. But in March 2011, it suffered a similarly disastrous earthquake, causing one of the worst tsunamis Japan has ever seen. More than 18,000 people were declared dead, and meltdowns of nuclear reactors in Fukushima leaked radioactive material into the surrounding area - more than was released in the Chernobyl catastrophe.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Andaman Sea, Indian Ocean (now)
The Andaman Islands, which are part of India, are close to the intersection of the Indian and Eurasian continental plates. Due to the high tectonic tensions, earthquakes are common here.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Andaman Sea, Indian Ocean (then)
The worst of these earthquakes in recent history hit on December 26, 2004. It was the third-strongest quake ever measured. Tsunamis following the quake killed 230,000 people along the coast.
Image: AFP/Getty Images/Choo Youn Kong
Yunnan, China (before)
The Chinese province of Yunnan is known for its breathtaking landscape, its rice terraces - and its earthquake risk. As Yunnan is located on the border between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, tectonic plate tensions can cause severe earthquakes.
Image: picture alliance/ZUMA Press
Yunnan, China (after)
In August 2014, more than 400 people were killed and about 100,000 left homeless by a 6.5-magnitude quake. Strong earthquakes are common in China. In 2008, 70,000 people died after a quake hit in the province of Sichuan.
Image: Reuters
L'Aquila, Italy (before)
Although Europe is not really known for earthquakes, they are more common than one might think. In Italy, the African plate comes up against the European continent, and the whole country is situated up against the plate boundary.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Barone
L'Aquila, Italy (after)
In 2009, a quake killed 300 people and left more than 10,000 homeless in the Italian town of L'Aquila. When seven scientists were convicted of manslaughter for failing to advise of earthquake threats, this raised international critique: Despite the most modern scientific methods, earthquakes cannot be predicted.
Image: picture alliance/INFOPHOTO
San Francisco, United States (now)
The Golden Gate Bridge is San Francisco's most prominent landmark. But it is under threat: Scientists say that soon, the worst earthquake in more than 100 years could hit the city, threatening its inhabitants. Culprit here is the San Andreas fault, where the North American plate meets the Pacific plate, just off the Californian coast.
Image: DW
San Francisco, United States (then)
In 1906, San Francisco was destroyed by an earthquake and resulting urban fires. To date, the San Francisco quake is said to be one of the deadliest natural disasters in US history - 3,000 to 6,000 people were killed.
Image: picture-alliance/akg-images
Valdivia, Chile (now)
Today, nothing in idyllic south-Chilean Valdivia reminds visitors of the earthquake danger. That doesn't make it less real: Just off the Chilean coast, the South American plate hits the Nazca plate. When tensions rise, the earth shakes. As a consequence, tsunamis form.
Image: Elio Caro/Virtual Publicidad
Valdivia, Chile (then)
At a magnitude of 9.5, it was the strongest earthquake ever measured: In 1960, the quake destroyed large parts of southern Chile's infrastructure. At least 1,700 people died, while millions were made homeless. The next "big bang" is likely to take place in Chile's northern region. The earth there, scientists say, has been suspiciously quiet for years.
