Unforgettable quake
When police photographer Paula Tanuvasa looks at her pictures from Christchurch’s devastating February 2011 earthquake, she hears the rumble of tanks and diggers, and smells the dust and smoke filling the red zone.
Next Wednesday at Porirua Library, Ms Tanuvasa will share her experience of photographing bodies pulled from the rubble.
The Porirua resident, 43, volunteered to go to Christchurch hours after the quake hit and was flown down on February 24. Driving towards the city centre the reality of her task hit home – army tanks were on the streets and she had to swerve to avoid massive cracks in the road.
Her first assignment was at the Christ Church Cathedral, which was still at risk of caving in. Police had erected a tunnel inside the cathedral to protect staff searching for victims.
‘‘I asked them if it was going to hold up, they just said ‘it’s the best we’ve got’,’’ she says.
No bodies were found inside the cathedral, so Ms Tanuvasa was moved to the worst- hit buildings, the Pyne Gould and Canterbury Television blocks. When Urban Search and Rescue ( USAR) workers found bodies in the buildings, Ms Tanuvasa followed them inside to photograph the bodies in situ. If possible the victims were removed and she took photos for later identification, concentrating on distinguishing features and clothing.
Her task lasted three weeks and by the end there was little of substance to work with. ‘‘You get down to the nitty gritty of teeth and jewellery within the ash.’’
Although there were constant aftershocks, workers hardly felt them due to the constant noise and shudder of diggers, tanks and skip bins being moved, Ms Tanuvasa says. She had several ‘‘knee shake’’ moments working right beside the CTV and Pyne Gould ruins.
‘‘You’re kind of looking next door and thinking ‘I hope it doesn’t go down this time’.’’
Police were at that stage the only people photographing the destruction. Mrs Tanuvasa and other forensic photographers were soon encouraged to roam around recording their experiences.
Thirteen of Ms Tanuvasa’s pictures were included in the book Christchurch 22.2: Beyond the Cordon, a collection of police photos from the rescue and recovery operation. The book has been popular and has raised $ 100,000 so far for domestic violence victims in Christchurch.
Ms Tanuvasa’s favourite of her own photos shows a group of Japanese USAR workers and construction workers praying before recovering a body from the CTV building. ‘‘It was really poignant, I remember thinking ‘do I take a photo of this sacred moment?’ I’m glad I did, because the general public gets to see the respect, the dignity that was being given to the victims.’’ Christchurch will stay with Ms Tanuvasa forever.
‘‘It was the most job satisfaction I’ve had in 10 years with the police. Just how everybody banded together and got going. I feel lucky to have been a part of it.’’
Paula Tanuvasa will discuss her experience next Wednesday, March 7, at 6pm, in the Helen Smith Room, Pataka. $5 per ticket, includes nibbles and a glass of wine or juice. Tickets from Paper Plus, North City Shopping Centre.