Woman shocked workers let back in after shake

The Press building in Christchurch. Photo / Simon Baker

A woman was shocked people were allowed back in the damaged Press building after the 2010 Boxing Day aftershock, an inquiry has heard.

After the February 22 Christchurch quake the building collapsed, killing Adrienne Lindsay, 54, and badly injuring several others, including a woman whose legs had to be amputated.

Staff at the newspaper had been just weeks away from moving into a new building on Gloucester St.

Press credit controller Naomi Magee told yesterday's royal commission that when she returned from holiday in January last year there were cracks around doorways on her floor, within sight of her desk, and cloth coverings on the main stairwell, TVNZ reported. "I still remember ... I was quite astonished that we were in the building and remember thinking, 'How can we be in here?'," she said.

"We felt unsafe in that building."

The building was red-stickered after the 2010 Boxing Day aftershock but Press staff started work there again on January 10 last year - two days before the council removed the sticker.

On February 22, Ms Magee was one of the 11 people trapped in the building. She was rescued after five hours.

Press general manager Andrew Boyle told the inquiry that staff were urged by email to go home if they had issues to attend to or if they felt unsafe.

"My primary concern was the safety of my staff."

- Staff reporter