20. Canterbury Television Building, New Zealand
Built: 1986
Collapsed: 2011
Est. Damages: Unknown
Due to the commonality of earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand, there are rather specific earthquake-designed building codes. In 1982, four years prior to the CTV Building’s construction, a new construction standard was implemented, however, as it was later discovered, the building’s construction supervisor had faked his credentials, through stolen identity, and knew nothing about the proper codes.
Canterbury Television Building, New Zealand @Yellowbullet / Pinterest.com
The Canterbury Television Building, somehow, managed to survive 2 earthquakes in the latter part of 2010, and in their aftermath was even deemed safe to continue using. On February 22, 2011, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch, toppling the CTV Building, taking the lives of 115 people and injuring dozens of others.