Before the earthquakes in 2011 and 2012, Christchurch was a city with many heritage buildings. This gave this southern city its unique character and made the city the most English looking city outside of England. Unfortunately these buildings were not designed to New Zealand's current strict earthquake standards and consequently were no match for three powerful quakes that struck the city along with over ten thousand aftershocks.
The first significant earthquake was the Canterbury Earthquake which measured 7.1 and caused wide spread damage but no deaths. On the 22 February 2011, a 6.3 quake struck the city destroying about one third of the buildings in the CBD and many other buildings and houses in the suburbs. It killed 185 people. Following that a 5.9 and then a 6.3 quake struck in June 2011 with one death and more significant damage. Finally a swarm powerful swarm of aftershocks struck the city on the 23 December 2011 causing further damage, but no deaths.