By Georgie Hanafin
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon lays a wreath at a memorial ceremony to mark the 13th anniversary of Christchurch's deadly 2011 earthquake. Photo: Georgie Hanafin / RNZ
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has joined a memorial ceremony to mark the 13th anniversary of Christchurch's deadly 2011 earthquake.
The 6.3-magnitude earthquake killed 185 people and caused widespread damage and destruction, including the collapse of the CTV building in Madras Street.
Dozens of people stood quietly with their heads bowed on the banks of the Avon River as the names of the people who lost their lives were read aloud and a bell tolled.
Luxon laid a wreath along with Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger at the Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial, while people sent cut flowers floating down the river.
Relatives of the 115 people killed in the CTV building were among those who came to remember the disaster, including David Selway, whose sister Susan was killed. He said she was working as a psychologist and seeing a patient in the building when the quake hit just before 1pm.
Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger lays a wreath at a memorial ceremony to mark the 13th anniversary of Christchurch's deadly 2011 earthquake. Photo: Georgie Hanafin / RNZ
"I'm sure she would have faced that adversity, that moment of absolute panic with great strength, that's the nature of the person she was. It's sad that people died unnecessarily and I think there's a huge lack of justice that sits behind that."
A 2012 royal commission of inquiry found engineer David Harding made fundamental errors in designing the building, and criticised his boss Alan Reay for handing sole responsibility for the design over to somebody so inexperienced.
Selway said he still wanted justice.
"One-hundred and fifteen people died in that building. The problems were known about in advance. There had been many times when Alan Reay and Alan Reay Consulting had been informed of issues and he chose to do the minimum or nothing. That's sad."
Dozens of people stood quietly with their heads bowed on the banks of the Avon River, as the names of the people who lost their lives were read aloud and a bell tolled. Photo: Georgie Hanafin / RNZ
Family members of some of the people who died in the CTV building collapse held a candlelight vigil at the site on Wednesday night.
An Engineering New Zealand disciplinary committee heard a complaint against Reay last December, with reserved findings due out in April.
Reay has strongly denied the claims against him, with his lawyers arguing the complaint has no basis and should be dismissed.
Wreaths laid during a memorial ceremony to mark the 13th anniversary of Christchurch's deadly 2011 earthquake. Photo: Georgie Hanafin / RNZ
Police did not press charges in relation to the collapse.
