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The Red Bus where three people died in the Christchurch earthquake - Source: ONE News -
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Angry and upset families of victims of the Christchurch earthquake sought answers at an inquest held today.
The inquest assessed the exact cause of death of five people who died while on buses or were killed by falling debris after the February 22 quake struck.
Chief Coroner Judge Neil MacLean warned families it would not be a pleasant experience. Many of the families became emotional as they heard about the final moments of their loved ones' lives.
Sister of 22-year-old Jaime Robert McDowell Gilbert, who was killed by falling debris, said the building he was inside at the time should not have been reopened after the September 4 earthquake.
Gilbert was working at the Iconic Bar on the corner of Manchester St. His sister, Amy Cooney, who was also working in the bar, yelled to get out of the building.
As the two fled, Gilbert was struck by masonry from the building. A police officer attempted CPR in the back of an electrician's van on way to hospital, but Gilbert was confirmed dead upon arrival at the hospital.
His post-mortem showed the base of his skull was fractures and his chest crushed.
Gilbert's sister Amy Cooney told ONE News she wants answers over whether the building was safe enough to be in.
She said it was closed for safety reasons after the September quake.
"There's no way it was safe enough to be in," Cooney said.
"I'd like to find out if in fact it was allowed to be reopened again. Because obviously I've lost my brother's life, and if it wasn't allowed to be reopened again, someone needs to answer for that."
MacLean said the inquest would not be examining why the facade of the Iconic Bar collapsed, but said that might be something the Royal Commission would look into.
The death of 40-year-old Civil Defence volunteer Joseph Pohio, who was also killed by falling debris, was also examined this afternoon.
Pohio, a draughtsman for the council, was on his lunch break at the Link Centre food hall when the quake struck.
He survived the initial 6.3 shake, but became trapped in rubble from a subsequent aftershock while trying to rescue a woman.
"A lady got hit in the quake with rubble and Joe was on his way out. He stopped, bent over to help her, and the aftershock hit," said Pohio's mother Joy.
Members of the public attempted CPR but were unable to revive him. He died at the scene.
Bus was 'unrecognisable'
Earlier, the inquest looked into the deaths of three people killed on a Red Bus Company bus, which was driving north along Colombo St.
MacLean said photographic evidence showed the enormity of the quake's impact on the bus.
As the earthquake struck, masonry and bricks fell from buildings from the west of Colombo Street onto the left side of bus.
Bus driver Andrew Christian Ross Craig, 46, was found in the doorway of the bus. He died two days later in Christchurch Hospital.
On the same bus was 14-year-old Jayden Andrews-Howland, who was travelling home. He was killed from the impact of masonry and bricks falling on the bus.
He died at the scene from severe injuries to the chest.
His family said today they have not been able to have any closure since their son's death, and that they still have many unanswered questions.
They asked MacLean today which building's facade collapsed on to the bus and where Jayden was sitting on the bus.
"We just really want to know where he was on the bus at the time it happened and exactly what other injuries he had," said Jayden's aunty Carolyn Howland.
They also asked if they could view the bus.
Jeff Sanft, 32, was on the same bus as Howland and Craig. MacLean said he died between the 22nd and the 24th of February from multiple traumatic injuries sustained on bus.
Today's inquest was interrupted briefly by a 4.4 magnitude aftershock at 12.41pm. The quake was 7km deep and hit 10km southwest of Christchurch.
The next inquest will be for all victims who died in the CTV building. It will be held next month.
Yesterday, MacLean issued death certificates for nine unidentified victims who died in the collapsed CTV building.
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