It is estimated by engineers that a full one third of all buildings in the central business district, or rather the still cordoned off area, (about 1000 buildings,) are either damaged totally or will have to be demolished. It is expected that there will be NO business there for months to come. By last night 145 bodies had been retrieved. It is very frustrating for those who KNOW their people are still buried but not yet retrieved and for those whose loved ones are retreived but not officially identified and so not yet released back to families. There are deaths of people from about 20 countries, especially those around the Pacific basin and China but also from the UK and Europe and someone from the Czech Republic.
Most schools are still closed but some are given the green light to reopen next week. While buildings and grounds have been cleared in some cases, one or two teachers are missing and so many children are totally traumatised that it's hard to say how many schools will cope. Staff are still coping with their own traumas and damaged homes. Teachers and support staff from many schools around the whole country have volunteered to come to Christchurch to fill in positions.
Perhaps now is the time for Anthony and Vivienne to step up?
