A coroner’s inquest into deaths in the CTV building on February 22, 2011, has resumed this morning.
The inquest before Coroner Gordon Matenga will take hearings about eight people who survived the initial collapse of the building, but died when rescue workers failed to locate them.
Alex Cvetanova was in cellphone contact with his trapped wife Tamara for hours after the quake.
3 News understands he had six conversations with Tamara, who had also made several calls to emergency services.
Mr Cvetanova told emergency services on the day that she was answering her phone with her teeth, as the collapse had damaged her fingers too badly to text.
The last he heard from Tamara was around 1am on February 23, after she turned her phone off to reserve cellphone battery. She was never rescued.
The hearing is expected to be emotional, as Mr Cvetanova has openly criticised the rescue operation before.
Of the 185 people killed in the quake, 115 were in the CTV building.
Along with the death of Tamara Cvetanova, the inquest is looking at the deaths of Jessie Redouble, Emmabelle Anoba, Ezra Medalle, Reah Sumalpong and Rika Hyuga, who are all foreign nationals.
The coroner has requested that the inquest be streamed live online, so overseas families of the deceased could watch proceedings.
“Many of the 115 people who died in the collapse of the CTV building were from overseas,” he said.
“It is hugely important that those who lost loved ones in the tragedy have the opportunity to have access to the inquest's proceedings, wherever they are," he said.
The inquest continues through to Friday.
3 News
source: newshub archive
