Quake in New Zealand kills scores

The search for survivors continues after buildings crumbled following a 6.3-magnitude earthquake that hit at the height of the workday Tuesday in Christchurch, the nation's second-largest city.

5 Seconds

00:00

Feb. 26, 2011

A vehicle is crushed under collapsed buildings in Lyttelton, near Christchurch, New Zealand. The death toll had risen to 145 Saturday, and the hope for finding survivors was fading as rescuers searched debris for more than 200 people still missing. The quake, an aftershock of a 7.1 magnitude temblor that struck the South Island city on Sept. 4, 2010, has caused damage and fatalities far exceeding those of the original.

Cameron Spencer / Getty Images

Feb. 25, 2011

Recovery workers are lowered by crane onto the top of Christchurch Cathedral, which was heavily damaged in the earthquake.

Rob Griffith / Associated Press

Feb. 26, 2011

An earthmover is parked in a street to demolish a collapsed building in Lyttelton, New Zealand.

Cameron Spencer / Getty Images

Feb. 26, 2011

A volunteer fills water bottles at a free drink station in Bexley, a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand.

Cameron Spencer / Getty Images

Feb. 26, 2011

Cars lie crushed under a fallen building in central Christchurch after Tuesday's earthquake.

Mark Baker / Associated Press

Feb. 26, 2011

Tara Hayward walks her dog, Alfie, past a New Zealand soldier patrolling the streets of Christchurch after the earthquake.

Torsten Blackwood / AFP/Getty Images

Feb. 26, 2011

Tombstones were damaged in the Linwood cemetery in Christchurch.

Cameron Spencer / Getty Images

Feb. 24, 2011

Two police officers walk past a fallen statue in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Rob Griffith / Associated Press

Feb. 24, 2011

Heavy machinery demolishes an earthquake-damaged church in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Mark Baker / Associated Press

Feb. 24, 2011

Search and recovery personnel carry steel-cutting equipment at the destroyed Christchurch Cathedral.

Rob Griffith / Associated Press

Feb. 24, 2011

Emergency workers prepare to remove a body from the site of the CTV building in Christchurch.

Sarah Ivey / Associated Press

Feb. 24, 2011

A police dog searches the rubble with its handler in Christchurch.

Mark Mitchell / Associated Press

Feb. 24, 2011

Search and recovery personnel work near the destroyed Christchurch Cathedral.

Rob Griffith / Associated Press

Feb. 23, 2011

An aerial view of emergency workers at the ruined CTV building in central Christchurch, New Zealand. Search teams used their bare hands, dogs, heavy cranes and earth movers to pull survivors from the rubble of Tuesday's powerful earthquake.

Sarah Ivey / Associated Press

Feb. 23, 2011

Kelly James takes photos of her destroyed house in central Christchurch. Tuesday's magnitude 6.3 temblor killed dozens of people, collapsed buildings and caused other extensive damage in the city.

Mark Baker / Associated Press

Feb. 23, 2011

Eighteen-year-old Libby Manning cries after being told there is no chance of survivors being rescued from the CTV building in Christchurch. Her mother, Donna, was trapped in the destroyed building.

Rob Griffith / Associated Press

Feb. 23, 2011

A car drives past tram rails that broke during Tuesday's earthquake in Christchurch, which is in southern New Zealand.

Tim Wimborne / Reuters

Feb. 23, 2011

Heavy machinery removes a destroyed commercial building from a street after Tuesday's earthquake in Christchurch.

Tim Wimborne / Reuters

Feb. 23, 2011

Mark, front left, and Paul Lupi, volunteers from the Rangiora Response Unit, distribute clean water to Christchurch residents.

Tim Wimborne / Reuters

Feb. 23, 2011

A Baptist church lies in ruins after Tuesday's earthquake.

Tim Wimborne / Reuters

Feb. 23, 2011

Vehicles remained trapped in Christchurch a day after a deadly earthquake rocked the city.

Marty Melville / AFP/Getty Images

Feb. 23, 2011

An area is cordoned off after the front wall of a row of shops collapsed following the earthquake.

Tim Wimborne / Reuters

Feb. 23, 2011

A rail line was buckled by the shifting earth in Christchurch.

Marty Melville / AFP/Getty Images

Feb. 23, 2011

Mayor of Christchurch Bob Parker speaks to the media a day after a deadly earthquake rocked the city. Hundreds of rescuers swarmed over twisted and smoking buildings in a frantic search for survivors.

Marty Melville / AFP/Getty Images

Feb. 23, 2011

Rescue workers search for victims under the rubble near the Canterbury Television building in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Shuzo Shikano / AP

Feb. 23, 2011

Two men celebrate after being pulled out from a destroyed building in Christchurch.

Christchurch Press / Reuters

Feb. 23, 2011

A woman is pulled from the rubble after Tuesday's earthquake in Christchurch.

Marlborough Express / Reuters

Feb. 23, 2011

A man is escorted by a rescue worker after being pulled from a destroyed building in Christchurch.

Christchurch Press / Reuters

Feb. 23, 2011

Survivors stand in a parking lot in Christchurch wrapped in blankets.

Logan Mcmillan / AFP/Getty Images

Feb. 23, 2011

Fifteen-year-old Kent Manning, left, and his sister Libby, 18, react with their father, who asked not to identified, after they were told by police that there was no hope of finding Kent and Libby's mother alive in a collapsed building following a 6.3-magnitude earthquake Tuesday, in Christchurch.

Rob Griffith / AP

Feb. 23, 2011

Survivors and homeless people gather at a disaster shelter in Christchurch.

Christchurch Press / Reuters

Feb. 23, 2011

A car remains stuck in a gap on a road following Tuesday's earthquake in the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch.

Tim Wimborne / Reuters

Feb. 23, 2011

Murray and Kelly James look at their destroyed house in central Christchurch, New Zealand.

Mark Baker / AP

Feb. 23, 2011

Retail shops in Merivale are left open to the elements in Christchurch. At least 65 people have died after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near Christchurch about 1 p.m. local time. The quake, which was an aftershock of a 7.1 magnitude quake that struck the South Island city Sept. 4, has left damage and fatalities far exceeding those of the original.

Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images

Feb. 22, 2011

An injured person is carried by rescue workers after an earthquake rocked Christchurch, New Zealand, at the height of a busy workday Tuesday, toppling tall buildings and churches, crushing buses and killing dozens of people in one of the country's worst natural disasters.

David Wethey / Associated Press

Feb. 22, 2011

Rescue workers search for survivors in a collapsed building in Madras Street after the earthquake in Christchurch.

Christchurch Press / Reuters

Feb. 23, 2011

The Christchurch Chinese Methodist Church in Merivale lies in ruins.

Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images

Feb. 23, 2011

The Christchurch Chinese Methodist Church in Merivale shows its scars from the earthquake.

Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images

Feb. 22, 2011

Taiwan's earthquake rescue workers load their equipment before their flight out of Taoyuan, northern Taiwan, to Christchurch via Sydney. New Zealand rescue teams worked under searchlights early Wednesday to find scores of people trapped under collapsed buildings.

Nicky Loh / Reuters

Feb. 22, 2011

Cars are abandoned on a flooded street after the earthquake in Christchurch.

Mark Mitchell / Associated Press

Feb. 22, 2011

Rescue workers try to extinguish a fire at a collapsed building in central Christchurch.

Mark Mitchell / Associated Press

Feb. 22, 2011

Rescue workers search for victims after the earthquake rocked Christchurch.

David Wethey / Associated Press

Feb. 22, 2011

Debris crushes a car outside the Christchurch Catholic Cathedral.

David Wethey / Associated Press

Feb. 22, 2011

An iconic Christchurch tram is covered in debris.

Martin Hunter / Getty Images

Feb. 22, 2011

A car is crushed by fallen concrete after the earthquake in central Christchurch.

Simon Baker / Reuters

Feb. 22, 2011

Rescue crews look for staff members in the damaged Pyne Gould Guinness building in central Christchurch.

Simon Baker / Reuters

Feb. 22, 2011

An aerial view of a damaged cathedral after an earthquake in central Christchurch. The quake was the second to hit New Zealand in five months.

/ Reuters

Feb. 22, 2011

A policeman talks to a woman trapped in a collapsed cathedral after an earthquake in Christchurch.

/ Reuters

Feb. 22, 2011

Rescuers move a man from beneath rubble in Christchurch.

/ Reuters

Feb. 22, 2011

A woman is pulled from the rubble in Christchurch.

Iain Mcgregor / Reuters

Feb. 22, 2011

A man is rescued from the rubble in Christchurch.

Iain Mcgregor / Reuters

Feb. 22, 2011

Rescue workers climb onto the collapsed Pyne Gould Guinness Building in central Christchurch.

Mark Mitchell / AP

Feb. 22, 2011

Office workers look for a way out of a high-rise building in central Christchurch.

Simon Baker / Reuters

Feb. 22, 2011

Debris litters central Christchurch.

Mark Mitchell / AP

Feb. 22, 2011

A man looks for any victims among the rubble in central Christchurch.

Simon Baker / Reuters

Feb. 22, 2011

Rescue workers work to extinguish a fire at a collapsed building in central Christchurch.

Mark Mitchell / AP

Feb. 22, 2011

A car is crushed by debris after an earthquake in Christchurch.

The Press / Reuters

Feb. 22, 2011

A man walks among the rubble in central Christchurch.

Simon Baker / Reuters

Feb. 22, 2011

Bodies are covered in Christchurch.

David Wethey / AP

Feb. 22, 2011

A mortally injured man lies on the street with his wife holding his hand.

/ Reuters

Feb. 22, 2011

A man holds a child in his arms after an earthquake in Christchurch.

Iain Mcgregor / Reuters

Feb. 22, 2011

People are moved from a damaged health clinic in Christchurch.

/ AP

Feb. 22, 2011

Two women hug each other in front of a collapsed building in central Christchurch.

/ Reuters

Feb. 22, 2011

Streets are seen covered with water after an earthquake in Christchurch.

The Press / Reuters

Featured Photo Galleries

Homeowner David Firth tries to beat back a brush fire heading towards his home at Bettas Road and Low Drive as wildfire burns Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012 in Cle Elum, Wash. The fire jumped the line they were trying to make but still stands after being sprayed with water trucks and further efforts to beat it back with the help of several neighbors volunteering. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Bettina Hansen) SEATTLE OUT, USA TODAY OUT, MAGAZINES OUT, TELEVISION OUT, NO SALES . MANDATORY CREDIT TO: BETTINA HANSEN/THE SEATTLE TIMES.

Residents evacuate as wildfires rage through the West

This year’s wildfires are more numerous and have gotten bigger than last year’s, an official says.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 16: Protesters gather outside the Ecuadorian Embassy, where Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks is staying on August 16, 2012 in London, England. Mr Assange has been living inside Ecuador's London embassy since June 19, 2012 after requesting political asylum whilst facing extradition to Sweden to face allegations of sexual assault. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Julian Assange granted political asylum by Ecuador

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was granted asylum on Thursday by Ecuador, raising the possibility of a diplomatic showdown between British...

Chase Culp of Houston checks his clown makeup before the performance of Circus Smirkus on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012 in Montpelier, Vt. Circus Smirkus, based in Greensboro, Vt., is an award-winning international youth circus founded to promote the skills, culture and traditions of the traveling circus.(AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

India Independence Day, Syrian air strikes, Western wildfires, plastination and more in the day in photos

News and feature images from around the world.

Cast member Charisma Carpenter poses at the premiere of 'The Expendables 2' at the Grauman's Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California August 15, 2012. The movie opens in the U.S. on August 17. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT)

Eye on entertainment

Charisma Carpenter, Chuck Norris, Lionel Richie, Joe Jonas, Nelly, Alice Cooper and other celebrities.

US President Barack Obama drinks a Guinness beer at The Dubliner pub on March 17, 2012 in Washington. Obama went to the bar to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. AFP PHOTO/Brendan SMIALOWSKI (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

Hoppy days are here again

President Obama is making clear his love for beer on the campaign trail as he attempts to ferment a coalition of the swilling.

Scanned from Post archive. Washington Senators baseball players Goose Goslin, Manush, Kukel. 9/21/1933. No other info. TWP Photo.

The last time Washington was this good . . .

The Nationals have had the best record in baseball in August, starting to erase memories hardened by decades of mediocrity. Here are clues to...

Montreal Washington, of Kansas City, pets the dog she adopted, Friday, Aug. 10, during 'Tackle Pet Homelessness' at the Kansas City animal shelter in Kansas City, Mo.. Washington plans on naming the pit bull, Alexandra. The shelter is at capacity and is offering a $25 adoption special for all dogs 25 pounds or more. For the month of August, all cats are 'name your own price' and kitten adoptions are $50. (AP Photo/The Kansas City Star, Allison Long)

Homeless and adopted dogs, sand kittens, snow leopards and more in animal views.

Amazing creatures from around the world.

LEWISBURG, WV - AUGUST 11: ( EDITORS NOTE: Image was created using the iPhone 4s with Snapseed's vintage filter) Two young boys sip a drink at the West Virginia State fair on August 11, 2012 in Lewisburg, West Virginia. People from across the region travel to the fair, which is celebrating its 88th year, and hosts various events including equestrian and livestock demonstrations along with a full compliment of carnival rides. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

iPhone snapshots at the West Virginia State Fair

An iPhone captures the fun at the West Virginia State Fair, in its 88th year. All images were created using the Snapseed photo-editing app&rsquo...

Back to Previous Gallery

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.