Infant boy the first NZ quake victim laid to rest
Kristen Gelineau, The Associated Press, Christchurch, New Zealand | Mon, 02/28/2011 7:55 AM
The first funeral for a victim of New Zealand's devastating earthquake has been held in Christchurch - for a 5-month-old boy.
According to his family, Baxtor Gowland was struck by falling masonry as he slept at home when the magnitude 6.3 temblor struck last Tuesday.
Dozens of family and friends of the boy embraced Monday outside a small chapel in Christchurch, where he was laid to rest. A slideshw of the smiling infant flashed on a screen as Sarah McLachlan's song "Angel" was played.
Police said the death toll from the quake had reached 148 and was expected to rise further. Around 200 people are listing as missing, though many are believed to be among bodies already collected but whose identitis have not been established.
