The 2011 Christchurch earthquake killed 185 people and became New Zealand's fifth-deadliest disaster, causing catastrophic urban damage.
Key Facts
- Magnitude
- Mw 6.2 (ML 6.3)
- Death toll
- 185 people
- Epicentre distance from CBD
- 6.7 km
- Liquefaction silt produced
- 400,000 tonnes
- Combined 2010–2011 damage (inflation-adjusted)
- 54.8 billion NZD
- Duration of initial quake
- approximately 10 seconds
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The earthquake struck a region already weakened by the September 2010 Canterbury earthquake and its subsequent aftershocks. Scientists classified it as an intraplate earthquake and a likely aftershock of the 2010 event, with its shallow focus positioned just 6.7 kilometres south-east of the Christchurch central business district amplifying destructive ground motion.
On 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time, a Mw 6.2 earthquake struck the Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island. Lasting approximately 10 seconds, it caused widespread destruction across Christchurch's central city and eastern suburbs, killing 185 people and triggering significant liquefaction that deposited roughly 400,000 tonnes of silt in the eastern suburbs.
The disaster killed 185 people and inflicted damage so severe that Christchurch's population fell, dropping the city from New Zealand's second- to third-most populous urban area. Combined with the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, total inflation-adjusted damage exceeded NZD 54.8 billion, making it New Zealand's costliest natural disaster and one of the most expensive in global history.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 185 (earthquake)