The earthquake came before repairs finishedSourced
Engineers had found a weak point. The building was only partly upgraded when the quake hit.
A 2013 review flagged floor-support weaknesses at Statistics House in Wellington, New Zealand. Upgrade work began in September 2016, but the Kaikōura earthquake struck that November before it was complete. Part of the structure collapsed where work remained unfinished; the building was empty just after midnight.
Finding a flaw and fixing it are two different moments.
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Statistics House · Wikimedia contributors
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Reviewed: 2026-10-01