“I lost two friends” – Brent Pope remembers the Christchurch earthquake

Rugby expert Brent Pope says the 2011 Christchurch earthquake “devastated” a beautiful city.

The New Zealand citizen was speaking on the tenth anniversary of the deadly magnitude 6.3 earthquake in the nation’s second most populous city.

The earthquake left 185 people dead and more than 1,500 injured.

It also caused extensive damage in downtown Christchurch, with some old buildings collapsing leaving dozens dead.

Christchurch Cathedral – one of the focal points in the city center – was also severely damaged in the earthquake.

A special party was held in the city on Monday. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there would still be people “living their daily lives in the long shade of that day”.

Brent said he first heard about the February 2011 earthquake when he received a phone call from a friend in the middle of the night.

“I lost two friends” – Brent Pope remembers the Christchurch earthquake

00:00:00 / 00:00:00

He said, “He asked if I had tried to call my father. I knew my mother was at a horse racing meeting in the city center when this happened… I was trying to call home madly.

“We only contacted her after two hours. Fortunately she was fine, but others weren’t so lucky. Our next-door neighbor didn’t get home … he was a young man with a young family.

“I lost two of my friends in the earthquake … my colleagues … the people I played rugby with.”

Part of history is gone

Brent traveled back to New Zealand shortly after the earthquake and saw “devastation” in Christchurch.

He said, “The city will never really recover, because part of history is over.”

“That doesn’t mean it won’t be a nice city – they put more bike paths in it, and it will be somewhat pedestrianized. But it’s still losing some of her soul and her heart.

“The property value went down, people moved in … Some people were too afraid to stay there.”

He said many more people have also moved to the suburbs, rather than staying in the damaged city center.

Brent said he always gets anxious when he gets the late night phone call, and in February 2011 it was bad news from his home country.

He said people can feel “extremely helpless” in such situations.

He recalls, “There was nothing I could do about it, and I just couldn’t communicate with people fast enough to see if they were okay.”

Due to COVID-19, Brent was unable to return to New Zealand during the past year to visit his elderly mother.

He said, “When your parents are in their 80s, the year is a long time. She is unable to speak on the phone, so I need to see her. It won’t happen until the end of the year … It might be too late.”

“The only family I own … They have returned to New Zealand.

“I’ve already lost my father, and I don’t know how many years my mom has left. It’s hard.

“You can feel lonely. Even though I’ve been here for 30 years … When things happen in the country you were born in, it hits the heart.”

Main photo: Christchurch earthquake post-2011 file image. Photo: Mark Baker / AP / Press Association Images

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos