On the 23rd of Febuary 2011 Christchurch had a major disaster. It was 6.4 magnitude earthquake. And it killed 182 people. It was New Zealand's worst natural disaster in terms of loss of life since 1931. the earthquake struck 10km south –east of central Christchurch at a depth of only 5km.

It happened in the main part of Christ church . The c.t.v building was demolished . More than 1 hundred people died in the c.t.v building . And as of the 3rd of may181 people had died . They have now made a big grave stone of all the people who died in the earth quake.

It happens when two plates are in friction together . They move and can cause an earthquake . Sometimes earth quakes can make mountains grow higher.