By Hamish Clark
An inquest has heard agonising stories about nine Christchurch earthquake victims whose remains have never been found.
They perished in the CTV building and are the last to be confirmed in the quake death toll of 181.
There were tears and hugs as grieving families arrived at the inquest.
Judge Neil Maclean opened the hearing by expressing the gravity of the event.
“To say that this is an extraordinary type of inquiry obviously is an understatement. We have never had to deal with this situation,” he says.
One hundred and eighty one people died as a result of the February 22 earthquake. Of the toll, 115 died in the CTV building alone, nine of those unaccounted for.
Three of the missing worked for CTV on the first floor including 31-year-old Matthew Beaumont.
His parents’ emotions are still raw.
“It is good we have got confirmation but as far as closure I don't think for me there will be any closure until I have drawn my last breath,” says David and Jeanette Beaumount.
Mrs Beaumont says his death will leave a large hole in the family.
“Being an only child there is just a black hole in front of us,” she says.
Forty-year-old Shawn Lucas, a production manager at CTV, also perished. A text message was sent to him two hours after the quake saying:
“Shawn are you ok… did you get out? Let me know asap if you are. We are so worried about you.”
His mother Sandy Dawson says he was worried about the safety of the CTV building.
“After the aftershock on Boxing Day he said ‘mum the building seems different’, it shuddered every time the trucks went past,” says Ms Dawson.
Another six whose remains have never been found were English language students on the third floor at Kings Education School.
Rhea Sumalpong survived the quake, but with her hands trapped and going numb she was unable to talk on her cell phone to her mum. She was never found.
“How was my daughter holding on when the earthquake happened and collapsed and then the fire happened, it is so hard you just imagine how she coped at one … its so hard,” says Marlene Saumal Pong
Judge Maclean said it was tragic that Rhea Sumalpong was not killed instantly as many others were but lingered on trapped in the building.
He concluded that all nine died as the result of multiple injuries.
3 News