Video: New Zealand remembers those who perished in Christchurch earthquake At a ceremony in a park that became a makeshift medical centre a year ago, a conch shell sounded to start the proceedings, along with a traditional Maori greeting. More than 6,500 people were injured when the 6.3 magnitude quake struck the city and many of the survivors were seated at the front of the memorial service. The Mayor of Christchurch, Bob Parker spoke of the devastation of the quake. No city has ever been through anything like this before. There is no blueprint. We are in unexplored territory," he said. The prime minister of New Zealand read from the Bible and members of the emergency services read out the names of all 185 victims. At 12:51 pm local (2351 GMT), the time the earthquake struck a year ago, two minutes of silence was observed across the whole country. The event ended with the release of 185 monarch butterflies to the tune of 'You Raise Me Up.'