New Zealand's quake-hit cathedral to be demolished

David Wethey / EPA

Christchurch Catholic Cathedral shows extensively damaged after an earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand in this file photo from Feb. 22, 2011.

AP reports: Anglican church officials in New Zealand say an iconic cathedral in downtown Christchurch must be demolished because earthquakes damaged it beyond repair.

ChristChurch Cathedral is the city's best-known building, but its climbable spire collapsed in the February 2011 earthquake that killed 185 people and destroyed many other downtown buildings. Officials had thought part of the building could be saved, but they said Friday that recent aftershocks caused even more damage.