Additional post-quake checks for 70 Wellington buildings

Wellington, New Zealand

WELLINGTON City Council has ordered the owners of 70 inner-city buildings to undertake further engineering inspections in the next eight weeks, following earthquakes that rocked New Zealand's capital last month.

The buildings include office towers, hotels and apartment blocks that reopened soon after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the east coast of the South Island on Nov 14. The fresh inspections are a precautionary measure and follow expert advice that some buildings may not have performed as well as expected, the council said in a statement.