Official New Zealand quake toll rises to 185

New Zealand : The death toll from the devastating earthquake in the New Zealand city of Christchurch last February has been raised to 185, the coroner's office said Thursday.

The coroner initially found 181 people were killed as a direct result of the 6.3-magnitude quake, but more deaths had been recorded as part of the toll in recent weeks after reviews of their cases, a spokesman for the coroner said.

He said the most recent addition, taking the toll to 185, was 88-year-old Iris Botting, who fell and fractured her hip during the February 22 earthquake then died in hospital more than two weeks later.

New Zealand will mark the first anniversary of the disaster with a memorial service in Christchurch later this month.