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'Inept' CTV rescue slammed by widower


The Royal Commission today heard criticism of rescue efforts after the February 22, 2010 Christchurch earthquake.

Chris Hutching
Tue, 06 Mar 2012

A lawyer acting for the Royal Commission into the Christchurch earthquakes argued that analysing rescue efforts was beyond the terms of reference.

He was responding to calls from an aggrieved widower Srecko Cvetanov who wants the Royal Commission to investigate why his wife, Tamara Cvetanova, remained trapped and died 12 hours after the CTV building collapsed

She was an English language student.

Mr Cvetanov spoke to her for about three hours after the collapse.

His representative, Nigel Hampton QC, told the Royal Commission that Mr Cvetanov believed rescue efforts had been inadequate and inept. He wants an inquiry to ensure better rescue responses in future.

But the Royal Commission lawyer, Stephen Mills QC, responded that investigating search and rescue actions was not in the Commission’s brief and should be more appropriately dealt with by a coronial inquiry.

Chris Hutching
Tue, 06 Mar 2012
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'Inept' CTV rescue slammed by widower
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