Quake victim's arms were pinned

A visibly upset lady walks through the rubble on Madras Street after the February 22 quake. Photo / Christchurch Star

A victim of the Christchurch earthquake was alive inside the Canterbury Television (CTV) building after it collapsed, but could not call on a cellphone for help because her hands were trapped, an inquest has heard.

The inquest in Christchurch today into the deaths of nine people in the CTV building, whose remains could not be recovered to identify them, has heard of the final moments and sightings of some of those victims.

Rhea Mae Sumalpong, 25, of the Phillipines, was studying at King's Education and was seen in the CTV building on the day of the quake.

Others trapped inside the collapsed CTV building after the quake called out on cellphones and stated that they were with Miss Sumalpong and that her hands were trapped. One caller said the people nearby were all fine, but their hands were getting numb, said Detective Inspector Paul Kench.

Mr Kench told the inquest he believed Miss Sumalpong died as a result of the collapse of the CTV building and subsequent fire. Her remains had not been recovered.

Judge Neil MacLean ruled that Rhea Sumalpong, Jinyan Leng and Elsa Torres De Frood died in the collapse of the CTV building as the result of multiple traumatic injuries.

Judge MacLean said it was particularly tragic that Miss Sumalpong clearly was not killed instantly, as many others did "but lingered on alive and trapped in the building".

Chinese national Jinyan Leng, 30, known by the name Vicky, was also studying English at King's Education in the CTV building and had been in New Zealand since August 2010.

She was last seen in the school's cafeteria minutes before the quake.

None of her remains had been found to identify her.

Peruvian-born New Zealand resident Elsa Torres De Frood, 53, was a director of studies at King's Education. She was last seen in the CTV building three minutes before the quake.

Messages sent to her cellphone after the quake went unanswered. One, sent at 7.59pm on February 22, read: "Hi Elsa. Simon here. Please tell me you are okay. Thanks".

Her wedding ring and set of keys were recovered after the quake.
Mr Kench said none of her remains had been recovered to identify her.

As had been previously stated, fire swept through the building following its collapse, the judge said.

The inquest, which opened in Christchurch this morning, is examining the deaths of nine people believed to have died in the February 22 quake, but whose remains could not be identified.

A total of 181 are believed to have died in the quake.

If the evidence presented was sufficient, then interim findings could be made to register their deaths of those nine unidentified victims, Chief Coroner Judge Neil MacLean said.

"To say that this is an extraordinary type of inquiry obviously is an understatement. We have never had to deal with this situation, such as arose out of the events of the 22nd of February, before," Judge MacLean said.

"The emotions of course are still raw."

Detective Inspector Paul Kench said no remains belonging to the nine people could be identified in the Disaster Victim Identification process, including DNA analysis.

The nine were all believed to be in the Canterbury Television (CTV) building, where 115 people are believed to have died when the building collapsed.

CTV staff member Matthew Beaumont, 31, was last seen by his fiancee at 7.38am on February 22 when she was dropped off at work by him.

Mr Beaumont was seen by surviving colleagues in the CTV building that day. He was last seen about 12.40pm, and seen by one colleague eating his lunch in the CTV kitchen.

Mr Beaumont and his fiancee exchanged several text messages on their cellphones that day.

After the quake she tried unsuccessfully to send a text message to him.

No banking transactions were made by him after February 21, and there was no record to show he had left the country.

Mr Kench said he believed that Mr Beaumont was in the CTV building when the quake hit, and died as a result.

CTV staff member Shawn Lucas, 40, was reported missing by his wife Maree the day after the quake, and was seen by colleagues in the CTV building on the day of the quake.

He was last seen about 12.30pm. One colleague saw him in his office on the first floor of the building.

Mr Lucas' cellphone was last used shortly before the quake, but was not used again after the quake and is no longer connected to the network.

At 3.50pm on February 22 a message was sent to Mr Lucas' cellphone failed to reach it. It read: "Shawn are you okay? Did you get out? Let me know ASAP where you are. We are so worried about you."

Mr Kench said he believed Mr Lucas died in the CTV building collapse.

No remains had been found to identify him.

CTV IT systems administrator Valeri Volnov, 41, a Russian-born New Zealand resident, was known as "the Russian who can do anything with computers".

He was seen by one colleague in the CTV building about an hour before the quake. He was last seen by his wife that day at 7.45am.

Attempted calls and text messages to Mr Volnov's cellphone failed after the quake. He had not made any banking transactions following the quake, and there was no record he had left New Zealand.

Car keys believed to be those owned by Mr Volnov were recovered in the search operation that followed the quake.

None of his remains had been recovered to identify him.

Judge MacLean said he was satisfied Mr Volnov died from multiple traumatic injuries in the CTV building.