Cathedral collapse strikes at city heart

Rowan Callick
February 23, 2011

THE heart has been torn out of beautiful Christchurch, highlighted by the collapse of the spire of the iconic Anglican cathedral, which soared 63m above Cathedral Square, the central meeting place of the city.

Peter Beck, the dean of the cathedral -- designed 150 years ago by British architect Sir George Gilbert Scott -- said its part-destruction was unimportant in the light of the earthquake's human cost. "A building's a building. The important thing is the people," he said.

"We just don't know if there were people underneath, so all we can do now is just pray and wait while the emergency services get in there." the rest

BBC video: First look inside collapsed Christchurch Cathedral