Christchurch, New Zealand, Feb 27, 2011 / 17:25 pm
After a fierce earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand this week claimed the lives of 113 people, local Bishop Barry Jones announced on Feb. 25 that all schools and parishes in the area will remain closed until inspected by safety officials.
The Feb. 22 earthquake – which has been described as the country's worst natural disaster in history – killed 113 people, with a further 200 still reported missing. It struck at 12:51p.m. local time on Tuesday and registered as a 6.3 magnitude quake on the Richter scale.
Bishop Jones said that local Catholic schools and churches, many of which were significantly damaged, will remain off limits until engineers have ruled them safe for use.
The Sydney Archdiocese reported that Christchurch's Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament was severely damaged in the earthquake. The building lost its two towers and has severe cracks throughout its edifice. The cathedral had been closed for repairs since an earthquake in the area last September. The public have not been allowed inside within the last several months during the church's reconstruction.