Christchurch quake: Thursday as it happened_eastern heal
11.00am To recap
5.48pm: John Key says there are now 92 registered talities，but that is expected to rise further. Key said there are graveconcerns for around another 200 people. We are very fearfultonight that the death toll could be much greater than ever of ushave ever feared. The 200 missing， Key said， are people wheretheres every reason to believe they should have returned homethat night.
6.50am: Mayor Bob Parker says the quadrant by quadrant searchingwill extend the search are today with 40 teams a major pushinto suburban areas. He said water remains crucial and extratankers will be bringing in supplies. He reminds residents to taketheir own containers and boil all drinking water using whateverresources are available. Portaloos are being brought into the citytoday but Parker says residents need to band together and thinktogether to create their own toilets.
7.30am To recap
Foreign consular staff in Christchurch were today givenbriefings from police and taken inside the cordon around the CBD.McCully says authorities are working very closely with thecountries involved to keep them up to date.
12.12pm: A benefit concert is to be held at the ASB Showgrounds，in Greenlane， Auckland tomorrow. All proceeds to go toChristchurch. More deatils on Facebook :
– concern about the elderly
12.22pm: EMI Music NZ is auctioning off various music itemsthrough Trade Me. All money raised will be donated to theChristchurch Earthquake Relief.
6.11pm: Coroner Sue Johnson says it make take some time toidentify and release the bodies. She says they are being taken wellcare of. She says people need to inform the Red Cross ofdetails such as scars， tattoos， clothing， jewellery， watches， andwhere to obtain dental records.
– a list of people who are missing and likely to have been caughtup in the incident will be released at around 4pm.
3.32pm: The release of the names of missing people for whompolice have serious concerns following the Christchurch earthquakehas been delayed. Canterbury District Commander Superintendent DaveCliff will provide an update on progress with the lists at a mediabriefing at 6pm.
11.27am: If youve got a bike this is a day you should use it，Bob Parker says， urging residents to stay off the roads ifpossible.
8.27pm: Power issues with the Christchurch phone network arecontinuing， Telecom says. The company had set up about 60generators at network sites without power. Eastern parts of thecity weres particularly affected， it said.
12.29pm: Messages of support and condolence are pouring in fromacross the world， including Pope Benedict XVI， US PresidentBarack Obama， US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton， CommonwealthSecretary-General Kamalesh Sharma， UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moonand Queen Elizabeth II.
6.07pm: Superintendent Dave Cliff says there are now 98bodies in the temporary morgue. The majorty of the 98 dead， hesaid， are expected to be in the list of the 228 missing. Gravefears are being held for the rest of the missing. One of thedeceased was a five month old baby boy.
7.11pm: Normal service for kerbside collections will continuetomorrow. The kerbside collection will be for red rubbish and greenorganics bins and will be a rubbish only collection. There will beno recycling collection anywhere in the city next week.
2.58am: Pope Benedict XVI has offered his condolences to theearthquake victims. At this time my thoughts turn especially tothe people that are being severely tested by this tragedy， hesaid. Let us ask God to relieve their suffering and to support allwho are involved in the rescue operations. I also ask you to joinme in praying for all who have lost their lives.
11.52am: Health officials are sure the city hassustainable staffing levels in place and they are working withdifferent health boards across the country. A number of intensivecare patients have already been transferred. The neo-natal unit isfull.
6.45am: Most Cantabrians accept they cant go past the cordon.Police are urging people to stay away. Gibson says police knowbusiness owners are keen to get in， but he said police will lookafter them. He said engineers and building inspectors need to checkbuildings to make sure they are safe before owners can return. Hesaid there could be as many as 100 buildings to check.
3.28am: A contingent of search and rescue workers from Singaporeand Japan will be arriving in Christchurch today. There will be 320search and rescue workers deployed in the city today.
12.00 noon: Glen Coburn from St John Ambulance said the serviceis coping quite well with the current workload. St John is gettingassistance from other areas and has over 40 ambulances operating，as well as 20 support vehicles and helicopters.
10:10am: The Defence Force has flown over 100 people out of thecity in addition to those who have left on commercial flights.Stockwell said they have flown in a lot of equipment such asgenerators and transformers.
6.35pm: Education Minister Anne Tolley says while ChristchurchCity schools and early childhood education centres remain closeduntil further notice， some schools in Selwyn and Waimakariri may beable to open after the weekend， following the devastatingearthquake. The ministrys website will have updatedinformation.
– prisoners are being moved from Rolleston Prison to make room foremergency services personnel
Official missing people hotline: 0800 RED CROSS， 0800 733 276.Overseas: +64 7 850 2199
12.17pm: Saturdays trial between the Warriors and Manly will bededicated to Christchurch. North Harbour Stadium has announced allprofits from the match will be donated to the Red Cross appeal forChristchurch.
8.34pm: Police are appealing for understanding from milies asthey work to identify bodies.
12:05am Twelve streets behind Redcliffs Primary School have beenevacuated with residents cleared out after cliffs in the area weredeemed to be unstable. The Redcliffs suburb is on the way toSumner.
2.21pm: Canterbury students left school-less are finding newtemporary classrooms. Queenstown Civil Defence controller JamesHadley says the council is canvassing schools in the district tomake room for as many Canterbury students as possible affected bythe quake.
4.46am: At this stage， Countdown supermarkets in Avonhead，Hornby， Kaiapoi， Northwood， Rangiora， Ashburton， Northlands， andChurch Corner are expected to be open today.New World stores inAshburton， Bishopdale， Fendalton， Halswell， Lincoln， Northwood，Rangiora， and Rolleston will also open as will PaknSavesupermarkets in Hornby and Northlands.
10.09am: Stockwell said the Defence Force is providinglogistical support and food and the naval presence is particularlyvaluable with over 700 meals given to Lyttelton residentsyesterday. And Stockwell said defence personnel are helping withthe security cordon around the CBD as well as in the suburbs.Military vehicles have then capacity to get down roads which areimpassable to other vehciles. The force is also helping out healthauthorities with the temporary morgue.
and says theres still no indication of when the CBD is likely tobe up and running.
He says they are now turning their attention to those in thecity.
6.00am: Carter says with extra USAR teams from Singapore， Taiwanand Japan now deployed they have the capacity to do grid searchesacross the city. Until now teams have concnetrated onbuildings where they knew a large number of people weretrapped.
12.57pm: 161 St John frontline medical staff have been sent fromother regions to assist in Christchurch. St John have deployed 12mass casualty incident vehicles and 10 support vehicles includingfour wheel drives and trailers. Wellington Free Ambulance has alsodeployed 18 staff and eight rescue vehicles.
7.23pm: ANZ expects the rebuild of Christchurch to take at leastfive years and the cost to reach at least $12 billion and take atleast 0.5% off the first quarter P.
2.17pm: Health workers are helping to move more than 200 resthome residents to safer accommodation. Around 20 properties whichare home to people with disabilities are uninhabitable， and anumber of rest home residents require hospital level care. Many arebeing taken home by mily members， and others are being moved bythe Air Force to cilities around the South Island.
1:50am Council says three-quarters of homes in Christchurch nowhave power and 40% have water. Also， fuel is now in constant supplyand there is no need for panic buying.
9.53pm recap
7.08am: Civil Defence is asking people to minimise loading onthe phone network by using text messaging to check if friends andmily are okay.
11.35am: Bob Hamilton from Civil Defence has been appointednational controller for the response operation. He says theresponse will be co-ordinated from one place， by one organisation，against one plan to provide absolute assurance to the public tahtall resources are marshalled and put into effect for the people ofChristchurch.
Flags at all of the stadiums hosting Super Rugby games thisweekend will be flown at half-mast while broadcast partners acrossthe three countries will also show their support during games bypromoting the Red Cross website where people can donate to theappeal. SANZAR said.
– Four welre centres are open – Burnside High School， PioneerRecreation and Sports Centre， Carl Stadium and Rangiora BaptistChurch.
– David Meates from the District Health Board says 164 quakevictims have been admitted to hospital with a range ofconditions
4.34am: Staff at the Toi Poneke processing centre in Wellingtonare asking for no more drop-offs.
It will provide an additional 75 beds
6.42pm: Lyttelton Port of Christchurch will start handling fueland essential supplies on Saturday.
The four welre centres at Pioneer Recreation Sports Centre，Burnside High School， Cowles Stadium， and Rangiora Baptist Church，say they are now fully stocked.
1.05pm: 76 in the morgue at the moment， more to come.
3:05am Quake toll rises to 102 ， police say.
ANZs Khoon Goh says this will mean the government returns tosurplus much slower than expected and a small credit downgrade islikely.
4.45pm: A website set up by the New Zealand Law Society as acontact point for lawyers offering assistance has been overwhelmedby the response. The website co-ordinates information about legalservices， provides a directory of assistance offered by lawyers tothe public， and provides documents and property-relatedinformation.
12.49pm: Inland Revenues Christchurch office was damaged in thequake but Revenue Minister Peter Dunne says staff are surepeople are not being harassed for payments and are getting thepayments they need.
147 people dead， and more than 50 unaccounted for? Terrible numbers but surely great news compared to 146 dead and over 200 people missing. Did any journalist have the brains to ask whoever gave this news why the sudden change from missing to unaccounted， and the sudden change from 200 to 50? Are there still others missing who are not in theChristchurch quake: Thursday as it happened_eastern heal unaccounted group? It is a bit confusing， and a surprising change in statistics.
8.00am: Key says there is an enormous number of people on theground and they are concentrating on restoring critical servicessuch as water supply and power. He said if necessary they will do atemporary patch up while knowing there will need to be a long termfix. Key said they are working to ensure there are adequate fuelsupplies but people need to stay off the roads， especially aroundthe CBD. He said yesterday he witnessed long traffic jams andvehicles banked up at petrol stations blocking emergencyvehicles.
2.47am:Relatives in Japan and South Korea say they fear theworst for 25 students missing from a Christchurch language school.Police say they have abandoned hope of finding more survivors atKings Education College， which was housed in the CTV building.
9.33pm: The Civil Aviation Authority is extending the restrictedair space requirement over central Christchurch to allow enableurban search and rescue teams to more effectively use listeningequipment and other technical tools to detect signs of life.
2.28am: The Crusaders have decided to withdraw from their SuperRugby match against the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday.
12.06pm: Orion chief executive Roger Sutton says they aim tohave 75% back of power restored by tonight. He said it is a much，much larger event than September and they are dealing with a lotmore damage. Damage to the underground network damage is very，very severe. As well as liquection， damage has been caused bybig boulders coming down and taking out substations.
9:06pm: Trade Me has set up a lost and found pets section on itswebsite.
2.43pm: The Lyttelton Tunnel is allowing emergency vehiclesthrough， but its still closed to the public.
11.45pm: Doctor and pharmacy charges have been wiped to ensurepeople are accessing services. Meates says it is important thepublic doesnt sit back and wait.
6.15am: Power has been restored to 60% of the city but is out inmuch of the eastern area. Residents are being urged to take carewhen re-entering their homes， preferably get an electrician tocheck the power supply and only turn on one appliance at atime.
Ambulance workloads were not high but every job took a lotlonger than normal because it was difficult to move around thecity， St John chief executive Jaimes Wood said.
9.30am: A live rescue effort has been confirmed at the HolyCross Chapel in Chancery Lane， off Cathedral Square.
6.56pm: Another 500 tourists are expected to reach Wellington inthe next hour after being evacuated from Christchurch by ship. Theywill gather at temporary accommodation centres around theCapital.
8.39am: USAR member Jim Stuart-Black reports they have located asurvivor trapped in a building in the CBD.
Baxtor Gowland， five month old of Christchurch.
3.01pm: The Auckland Council is donating $1.5 million dollars tothe Canterbury earthquake relief effort. Its also askingAucklanders to follow that lead and dig deep for the people ofChristchurch.
12.51pm: Chief Coroner Neil MacLean says contingency plans arein place to ensure the coronial system can cope with the deathtoll.
1.23am: Rescue missions are continuing at various sites in thecity after the fire service confirmed last night that otherbuildings have people trapped inside. Those buildings are thePGC building， Christchurch Cathedral， The Press building， SmithCity carpark， St Asaph/Colombo， and 92-95 Cashel Street.
2.17am: Police say there has been a rise in the number ofdomestic callouts in Canterbury since the earthquake. Supt RussellGibson said the stress and trauma of Tuesdays earthquake isunderstandably taking its toll but said mily violence was notacceptable in any circumstances. Help， advice and information isavailable on 0800 1 REFUGE.
12.41pm: The Palms Shopping Centre in Shirley remains closed.There is no public access to all centre cilities including theATM machines and car parks.
We know its an agonising wait for milies desperate to findout about their loved-ones， but there is a legal requirement forthis work to be completed to standards set by the Coroner， policedisaster victim identification (DVI) commander Mike Wrightsaid.
4.29am: Australia has donated $5 million to the earthquakerelief effort.
1.23pm: There could be up to 120 bodies in the CTV building.Cliff says the numbers have varied wildly.
8.14pm: Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott have signed a condolencebook for quake victims at the NZ High Commission in Canberra.
7.15am: Parker says the Grand Chancellor will eventually have tobe demolished， but may come down on its own accord. He said if itcomes down it will create a massive shockwave. And he said if thecitys largest structure does come down it will damage buildings acouple of blocks away.
1.26pm: Victim identification is relying on DNA and fingerprintsbecause some bodies have been so severely injured. Cliff saysthere have been instances overseas when distraught relatives havemade mistaken visual identification.
1.13pm: Superintendent Dave Cliff says it remains a rescueoperation. There could be people alive but there is no chance forsurvival at the CTV site.
10.30am: Telecom is still significantly affected by ongoingpower issues in areas of the city and physical disruption caused bythe quake. It says its focus remains on restoring and maintainingmobile cell sites in the CBD. Operational central city cell siteshave been connected to generators to keep them running.
Its a 75 bed hospital and will be utilised over the coming days.The field hospital arrived in a number of shipping containers andwill be staffed by Australian clinicians including six emergencydepartment doctors， 13 nurses， general surgery staff， orthopaedicstaff， general trauma， anaesthetists and support staff.
3.49pm: Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says $20，000has been given to the student volunteer army. Bennett said it wouldgo towards equipment like wheelbarrows and shovels.
Another plane is carrying 40 more passengers to Victoria， whilefour commercial flights are also transferring stranded Australianshome.
4.53am: There have been 13 aftershocks recorded in theChristchurch area today.
8.47am: Corrections chief executive Ray Smith says prisoners arebeing moved from Rolleston Prison to Christchurch Mens Prison sothey can free up beds to accommodate emergency services personnel.He said the prison is fully functional with water and seweragesystems operating normally， as well as the kitchen.
4.20pm: The EQC says that as at 1.30pm， it has received 7000claims from Tuesdays quake， but it expects the final tally toexceed the 150，000 claims it received from the September quake.
4.31am: Civil Defence minister John Carter will head toChristchurch today. Earthquake recovery minister Gerry Brownleearrived back in the country last night after cutting short a tripto the Middle East.
9.40am: Bob Parker says its still hard to get a clear picturebut about 60% of the central business district has been covered interms of rescue efforts. He said the first job is to save lives andthen it is to repair infrastructure alongside a parallel process ofgetting temporary distribution mechanisms set up. He said officialsare also determinineastern health board dubling what they can get from other centres and howto get it to Christchurch quickly. Private distribution chains areeager to offer their services， Parker says.
10.34am: Hundreds of people， including tourists， are choosing toget out of Christchurch.
7.31am: Key says we cant underestimate the severity of thesituation but just because the dogs and sound equipment haventdetected any survivors that doesnt mean there are not peopletrapped and alive. He says police are doing everything they can toprovide information but the number one focus is to get peopleout.
5.12am: The number of confirmed dead remains at 75 with about300 people missing. Nearly 200 police have been working through thenight， manning cordons and patrolling the streets.
1.38pm: A list of people who are missing and likely to have beencaught up in the incident will be released at 4pm today. Cliff saidat this stage there are 238 people on the missing persons list.But many of those people may have simply left town， so again ifyouve left town please ring the Red Cross number， he said.
6.05am: Carter confirms 71 people dead in morgues，officials are aware of other bodies but havent got a number.
10.32am: Telecom is collecting analogue landline phones fromaround the country to distribute to people in Christchurch. Theold shioned corded analogue phones plug straight into ajack-point and dont require mains power. People can drop spareanalogue phones in to any Telecom store during retail openinghours.
9.22am: The dollar extended its loss， hitting a new two-monthlow as the latest shake compounds the billions of dollars of damagecaused in the September quake.
10.55am: Body bags are being brought onto the CTV buildingsite.
5.02pm: A free-to-call service to take non-emergency queriesfrom the public has been set up to ease pressure on emergency phonenumbers in Christchurch. The number is 0800 96 0133.
5.15am: Prime Minister John Key flew back to Wellington fromChristchurch late last night and is due to hold his firstearthquake media briefing at 7.30am today before going into anotheremergency cabinet meeting.
About 10，000 calls were made from 260 free payphones in andaround the city yesterday， and free WiFi was also available atTelecom Riccarton Mall， Cafe Zero and the Westpac Centre inAddington.
11.39am: David Meates from the Canterbury District Health Boardsays 164 quake victims have been admitted to hospital with a rangeof conditions from crush and spinal injuries to broken bones. Hesays 60% of primary care cilities are now up and running but itremains a pressure point.
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3.42am: Welre Centres are currently open at Burnside HighSchool， Pioneer Recreation and Sport Centre， Cowles Stadium andRangiora Baptist Church. People are advised to bring their ownwater containers， bedding， personal medicine and sanitaryproducts.
4.36am: Civil Defence Minister John Carter is asking people todonate money， rather than goods.
6.04pm: Foreign minister Murray McCully has been speaking to hiscounterparts in a number of other countries to warn them itshighly likely some of their citizens have been killed.
6.40am: Gibson says police are working on the missing list withthe Red Cross. He says it is vital all names go on the list butthere is a lot of confusion. We dont mind duplication， well workthrough the names line by line.
5.04am: The number of doctors clinics open in Christchurch ipected to double today. About 30% were open yesterday and 60%percent are hoped to be open today.
1.35am: Three fire applicances and one aerial applicance are atthe CTV building. There is a fire in the debris. Search and rescueworkers were on standy， the Fire Service said.
1.16pm: The city has been gridded and teams have been applied tosearch sections using sniffer dogs， acoustic testing and camerasplaced within the rubble to look for any sign of life.
2.51pm: Another， more sophisticated Christchurch earthquakecharity email scam is operating， says the Ministry of ConsumerAfirs. This email scam is designed to look like it is from theRed Cross and directs people to a ke phishing website where youare asked for credit card details. More information here.
9.20am: Health authorities are looking for signs of disease withwater supplies still largely unavailable. Medical officer of healthAlistair Humphrey says the damage to infrastructure is worse thanafter the September earthquake. Residents should boil water for atleast 3 minutes before drinking.
4.26pm: Australian military aircraft will be evacuating peoplefrom Christchurch. Australian Attorney General Robert McClellandsays most Aussies will be encouraged to leave on commercialflights， but some will return on the military
10.55am: No one has been found alive at the Holy Cross Chapel inChancery Lane.
3.07pm: Credit rating companies say there is no immediate needto change the credit ratings of insurers because of theChristchurch earthquake but Moodys Investors Service said ratingspressure may develop over time on the banking sector.
2.59pm: The Prime Minister is meeting with business leaders inChristchurch this afternoon to discuss the economic impact of thequake. John Key says theres no doubt the impact on businesses willbe substantial.
2.49pm: There are now 300 international search and rescuepersonnel in Christchurch， from four different countries.
1.08pm: Defence Minister Wayne Mapp says Lyttelton is heavilydevastated. People have taken an unbelievably heavy knock andemotions are stretched. The only supermarket is closed and there isno operational petrol station. The need is to get in thefundamentals to human life， Mapp says.
12.19pm: Auckland Mayor Len Brown tweeted that the AKL Councilvoted $1.5m for Chch plus ongoing staff support for the comingyear.
6.55pm: Fresh water is now available at Cowles Stadium car park.Residents are reminded to take their own containers and to keepboiling water.
2.08pm: Four bodies were recovered from the CTV buildingovernight， Cliff said.
Further support from the United States and the United Kingdomare due to arrive tonight and tomorrow， boosting numbers by 130. Afield hospital from Australia is on its way and will arrive thisafternoon.
4.54pm: Kings Education has published a list of missingstudents and staff on its website. Forty-six people from the schoolare missing， according to the list. Another 34 are listed asstatus unknown. The school was located on the third floor of thecollapsed CTV building. The school says it has had difficultytracing all students because its records were destroyed in thequake.
2.44pm: For a full list of water stations， go to www.canterburyearthquake.org.nz
– police have released the names of four people killed in thequake. They are Joseph Tehau Pohio， 40， Jaime Robert McDowellGilbert， 22， Jayden Harris， eight-months-old and Baxtor Gowland，five-months-old. All are from Christchurch.
11.06am: The Association of Counsellors has expressed sympathyfor those affected by the earthquake. NZAC acknowledges the highlevel of grief and trauma being experienced by the citizens ofChristchurch and their milies. It is heartening to see thesupport evident in the community， president Jonathan Loan said.NZAC counsellors can be contacted through private practices andvarious agencies.
3.45am: CTV building recap: Urban Search and Rescue teams andthe Fire Service resumed work at the collapsed CTV building lastnight some hours after safety risks forced the temporary suspensionof rescue efforts. Police received advice from USAR yesterday thatthe damage caused to the building meant the likelihood of anysurvivors was low. Search and rescue operations continued until1.30pm when teams had to pull out due to safety risks with theGrand Chancellor Hotel， police said. Later in the evening teamswere able to resume work on the site. The work is a recoveryoperation as more survivors are not expected.
3.57am: Christchurch City Council says it will increase thepercentage of mains water availability today.
– several members of the media， especially from Japan， werearrested last night for trying to break in and interviewpatients.
2.35am: The cancelled match between the Crusaders and theHurricanes will be declared a draw with the two franchises gettingtwo points each.
3.09pm: There are reports that there is no petrol left inKaikoura， Ward or Cheviot. Shell Waikuku employee Amber Chilpottsays her station is one of only three stations still with fuel fromChristchurch to Kaikoura. But queues are about 40 cars long.
3.53am: People with moderate injuries should go to PrincessMargaret， St Georges or Southern Cross Hospitals， the city councilsaid.
1.18pm: Red stickered properties cant be occupied due to safetyreasons.
4.01am: Sufficient supplies of food and fuel are reaching thecity following the earthquake， Canterburys Civil Defence GroupController， Ken Taylor， said.
2.24pm: Ninety-one Australians have flown home from Christchurchon an Australian Air force plane， and 26 Singapore citizens havebeen flown home by the Republic of Singapore Air Force. 116Singapore Army personnel who happened to be in New Zealand for anexercise are helping out in Christchurch， mainly manning thecordons in the CBD.
6.37am: Gibson says rescuers remain hopeful but the situation atthe CTV building is grim. We will continue brick by brick to getthe people out.
10:02am: All 22 people missing in the Cathedral are believed tobe dead.
5.09pm recap
3.26pm: Work and income staff are continuing to make contactwith elderly people living alone in Christchurch， with over 10，000calls made so r.
4.15pm: BP Oil New Zealand says its Lyttelton oil terminal hasnow re-opened following a thorough safety inspection， and that willsignificantly assist BP to replenish its stocks in the Canterburyregion.
6.27pm: Superintendent Dave Cliff has released the names of fourpeople killed in the devastating earthquake on Tuesday.
6.28pm: The Ministry of Social Development says the welrecentre at the Rolleston centre is NOT open tonight. It will opentomorrow.
9.46am: Parker said it is up to individuals to make their owncall about whether to leave the city which would be entirelyunderstandable. He said if people choose to leave that will alsohelp to take pressure off some systems. But he said if peopleleave， it is vital to let others know what they are doing. If wefind a structure thats damaged we want to know what has happenedto the people inside. He is urging people in these circumstancesto leave a note on the door.
2.15pm: Wayne Mapp said Lyttelton was heavily devastated. Athoudand Lyttelton residents were fed by the Navy last night. Army engineers will be setting up two water points， includingwater purification， at Lyttelton and New Brighton later today.
3.26am: Wainoni Bridge， Gayhurst Bridge and Avonside Dr/SwannsRd Bridge are open， the city council says. Further work is ongoingto open more bridges.
7.46am: Mitchell Brown who is heading the Urban Search andRescue operation says international teams are now established inLatimer Square and are carrying out a grid search.
Canterbury residents with urgent medical needs can visit a GP freeof charge until tonight， but are urged to call first.
4.38pm: Orion says it aims to have power restored to 75% ofChristchurch by the end of the day， but it could take some weeks torestore power to the remaining 25%.
10.48am: The SPCA says hundreds of animals have been displacedby the quake. The after hours emergency service is in fulloperation. For emergencies from 9-4 phone 03-349-7057， extension201 or 205. Outside normal operating hours， call 03-366-3886. Orvisit spca.canterbury.org.nz for advice.
10.44am: The New Zealand Contractors Federation is helpingco-ordinate civil contractors who can assist with the reliefoperation. The Wellington-based centre will liaise betweenorganisations or individuals requiring assistance and contractorswith the capacity and resources to undertake clean up andconstruction work.
– people should stay off roads
They are:
8.23pm: There is concern motorists are ignoring pleas to stay offthe roads in Christchurch.
7.45pm: Murray Wood， managing director of Canterbury TV， talkedabout shifting the business just a day before he died in thebuildings collapse in Tuesdays devastating earthquake， hisbusiness partner at CTV， Nick Smith， said.
7.20am: Gibson says there has been an increase in the number ofdomestic incidents since the earthquake as the strain begins toshow and living conditions and continual aftershocks get on thenerves. He is urging people to walk away before police have tointervene.
6.03pm: Federated Farmers is reminding people not to resort topanic buying which would only lead to stations running out of fuelbefore fresh deliveries arrive. Petrol retailers Caltex， BP， Shelland Mobil say there are plenty of trucks bringing regular petroland diesel deliveries into the region and people should not worrythey will run out.
11.20am: Names of some victims will be released at some timetoday. Police are going through the process of identifying victimsand notifying next of kin. They are still working on the missingpersons list.
10:49pm ANZ says its Canterbury Earthquake Appeal has raisednearly $500，000 since Tuesday. Go here for details on how todonate.
9.12am: By 4.00am there had been at least 34 aftershocks greaterthan magnitude 4 and three aftershocks above magnitude 5. GNSScience advises that there may be more magnitude 5 or greateraftershocks in the next few days.
4.16pm: Fonterra is installing five large milk vats filled withfresh water around Christchurch. Chief executive Andrew Ferriersays the vats will be installed in locations around the city asrecommended by Civil Defence.
11:33pm The City Council has released detailed information oncurrent road and bridge closures .
8.27am: Contact Energy chief executive David Baldwin says thecompany is working to restore gas supplies to Christchurch. He saidthe area near the airport has been tested and relivened but thereis a lot of damage near the CBD and it will take time to repair. Hesaid they have fitters coming in from around the country andAustralia and they are trying to get free bottled gas to people -especially those without electricity.
6.10am: 431 patients have been through the emergency departmentat Christchurch Hopspital， 164 seriously injured. Between 1500-2000have been through other medical cilities with minor injuries.
1:16am Five aftershocks measuring over 3 on the Richter scalehave been felt in the last two hours.
1.55am: The 26-storey Hotel Grand Chancellor building is stillstanding. There have been fears it is in grave danger ofcollapsing.
Cant agree more about the scumbags that thieve and loot. Public humiliation is by r the best way to deal with them.Even those who live outside mainstream morals must be appalled at some of this behaviour especially when those in low economic communities are being targeted.
6.33pm: St John says some of its stations were destroyed andmany St John staff are operating out of a carpark in the citycentre.
12.36pm: Faix Media chief executive Greg Hywood says itsbeen a difficult few days after one staff member died and threeothers were trapped in their Christchurch office. Of the threesurvivors， two staff were injured and one suffered minor injuries，Hywood said.
5.31pm: NSW Premier Kristina Keneally and Opposition LeaderBarry OFarrell are attending a prayer service for the people ofChristchurch in Sydney.
12.50pm: Housing New Zealand is contacting its most at-risktenants in Christchurch to see if theyre ok. Housing Minister PhilHeatley says a log is being kept of calls from tenants reportingminor damage.
4.07pm: Housing New Zealand has set up a help line and websiteto help find accommodation for people. If you have accommodationyou can offer， or you are looking for help with accommodation youcan contact Housing New Zealand at contact 0800 HELP 00 or on itswebsite .
3.14am: On-site free-standing water tanks will be replenished atthe following sites later today: Shirley Intermediate; PhillipstownSchool; Lyttelton School; South Brighton Primary School; WainoniPrimary School; Heaton Intermediate; Paparoa StreetSchool;Chisnallwood Intermediate; Heathcote Valley School; WalthamSchool. Residents are reminded to bring their own watercontainers.
– no one has been rescued from the rubble today.
11.00am: Trade Me is opening its website to advertisements forfree offers of accommodation. It also has a place to list lost andfound pets， travel offers in and out of Christchurch and volunteerlabour.
We have urged the New Zealand side to rescue the Chinese studentsthere， Ma said in reports on Chinese China Central Television.
3.48am: Student volunteers who will work under the guidance ofCivil Defence today should take equipment (shovels， wheelbarrows，gloves， raincoats， sunblock， drink bottles) with them， organisershave said. About 500 student volunteers will meet at the Universityof Canterbury Students Association on Ilam Rd at 9am ahead ofbeing transported by bus to locations .
10:15am: The Defence Force still has resources in reserve and ispreparing for the long haul. Stockwell said they have theterritorial forces to call on and are still keeping an eye on theiroverseas contingents.
5.58pm: A new welre centre will open at the RollestonCommunity Centre from 6pm today with the capacity to take 1000people.
6.17pm: Christchurch mayor Bob Parker says search teams arestill in resuce mode. It is not beyond the realms of possibilitythat we will find people who are still alive， he said.
7.39am: Key believes NZ has the numbers right in terms of rescuepersonnel. He says this is a major event and there is a distinctdifference between manpower capacity and skilled rescue teams.Its bit of a club around the world where everyone helps out.
8.55am: Eftpos and credit card cilities up and running.
1.47pm: The New Zealand Law Society has set up a website toco-ordinate information relevant to the provision of legal servicesfollowing the Christchurch earthquake. The website， at provides news and information received by the Law Society
9.00am To recap
2.38pm: A plan to send a robot into Greymouths Pike River Coalmine again has been put on hold， and will instead be redeployed toChristchurch.
5.05pm: Suggestions Christchurch city should be moved， or thefinancial district shifted to a more stable area， are absurd，Deputy Mayor Ngaire Button said. Where would you move it to? Thewhole of Canterbury (province) is shaking， Button toldReuters.
4.03am: Fuel is being transported to Christchurch through theport at Timaru. State Highway One is open for supplies to reach thecity.
7.35am: The government will hold a Canterbury earthquakerecovery committee meeting today.
8.38pm: Farmers in Canterbury are rallying around to supportpeople in the city. Federated Farmers board member John Hartnellsays rmers in all areas， except for Banks Peninsula， have copedwell.
1.56am: Around 60 Australians who were caught in the quake havebeen flown to Brisbane. The first Australian Defence Forceevacuation flight arrived at Brisbane Airport last night.
8.15am: Officials are confident vital supplies such as food andwater are reaching the city. Key said they are getting huge supportfrom businesses eager to do all they can and an enormous amount offood has been offered by the Food Council. He said everyone is keento do all they can to help.
8.18pm: The 26-storey Grand Chancellor Hotel building has beendeemed too structurally unsound to go in and shore the building up.The cordon has been extended in case it lls. Engineers arekeeping a close watch.
12.33pm: Vodafones network is largely operational with only 14sites down， mostly due to lack of power. At least two have physicaldamage which will take some time to restore. Generators are keepingsites working.
– Air Vice Marshall Peter Stockwell said the defence force isproviding extensive logistical and personnel support.
1.19pm: The looting ctor is absolutely minimal.
1.00pm: Police Minister Judith Collins has described scenes ofutter devastation. Ive never seen anything like it. Collins saidthe rescuers are all working brilliantly together – often peoplewhose own homes have been totalled. The minister praised thepersonal courage of rescuers and said the military reaction hasbeen absolutely ntastic.
9.00am: Health authorities are looking for signs of disease withwater suppies still largely unavailable. Medical officer of healthAlistair Humphrey says the damage to infrastructure is worse thanafter the September earthquake. Residents should boil water for atleast 3 minutes before drinking.
6:45pm: Between 16 and 22 people are thought to be trapped inthe Christchurch Cathedral. They are believed to be dead.
6.24am: Reports that 300 people are missing remain speculation.Carter said police are in charge of collating the list and want tobe sure there are no double ups before announcing a definitivenumber.
5.46pm: The New Zealand Transport Agency hopes to re-open theLyttelton Tunnel in the next two days.
6.12am: Water and waste water are still significant issues and80% of the city is without reticulation. Fonterra is deploying 34tanks with 20 000 litres capacities to supply 14 water supply sitesacross the city 80% of main trunk sewers aredamaged.
3.15pm: The Blind Foundation is asking people in Christchurch tocheck on blind， deaf-blind and partially sighted people in theircommunities. It has more than 1200 members on record in theCanterbury region， and says these people may need help gettingaround and accessing essential services. If you know someone whoneeds urgent assistance or advice， call the Foundation on 0800 2433 33.
11.49am: There are concerns about the vulnerable in society，particularly the aged some of whom have been moved to otherresidential care cilities. Meates said more may have to be moveddepending on capacity around the country. He said it is importantfor people to continue to talk about their experience. Talkingabout their experience is an important part of remaining resilientover the next few days and weeks.
12.07pm: An Australian Army Field 75 bed hospital is due toarrive this afternoon.
1.01am: A firefighting team has moved into the collapsed CTVbuilding to put out a fire in the basement. Diggers are clearingrubble at the back of the collapsed building. Search and Rescueworkers have been deployed elsewhere and there is no sign of themreturning， Civil Defence told ONE News. They are working in areaswhere there is more hope， a Civil Defence spokesman said.
7.05am: Lyttelton Port operations are suspended while a fullengineering assessment is completed. Some wharves have sustainedserious damage.
6.47pm: An Australian TV presenter has apologised for anoffensive tweet while covering the quake.
First of all my condolences to all that have lost special people. I am in the UK and feel helpless， but my thoughts are with you all. Can I ask the Police one question. Can you release the names of the missing so that if a name appears and they are safe， you will be able to reduce the missing. I am sure you have thought of this， but it is done for missing trampers， etc. This may help narrow the numbers， even for those overseas. All the people helping out in this event， you are all heroes.
3.16pm: President of the Association of Counsellors， JonathanLoan， says many people are still shell-shocked and running onadrenalin. He says peoples emotional wellbeing is likely to changeover the coming days， weeks， and even months. Counsellors can besought through health services， iwi and runanga， or by phoning theAssociation of Counsellors national office on on 07 834 0220.
From a distance its difficult to understand the anguish，terror and anxiety that the people of Canterbury are experiencing.All I can do is pray that people will have the strength andresilience to see this new crisis through and that it never happensagain.
8.44pm: The Crusaders have ruled out moving next weeks roundthree Super Rugby match against NSW to the Sydney FootballStadium.
In times like this，it humbles me that there are so many selfless people in our communities，willing to put their energies into helping those who are suffering..BUT..I have to say that it also makes me pray that the Justice system forgoes leniency on the scum-bag opportunist thieves，looters，and cordon-breakers-I say，humiliate the ones caught by painting their ces with semi-permanent orange dye，and turn them loose in our communities-PC Brigade?in this case，they need to get realistic!!
10.21am: Australian High Commissioner Paul OSullivan said whenmily is in trouble you do what you can to help. Australia hasprovided 140 search and rescue personnel and a 25 member medicalteam is coming in tonight. OSullivan said 300 Australian policeare coming tomorrow. He said on any given day there could be asmany as 8000 Australians in Christchurch and he is urging peoplewho havent heard from relatives or friends to let authoritiesknow.
2.06pm: Dave Cliff says it is not possible to identify some ofthe bodies because they have been so severely injured. Hesays it is still possible that there are people buried alive underrubble but sites with bodies， but no signs of life are being leftwhile rescuers focus on buildings that do have positive signs oflife.
11.01am: A number of supermarkets are still closed inChristchurch because of earthquake damage， including fire damage，ceilings that have llen in and one badly damaged carpark.
Standard & Poors Ratings Services has stopped short ofputting a figure on the insurance cost of the quake， saying onlythat the unprecedented event will cost more than the Septemberearthquake. Yesterday， JP Morgan estimated the cost of theearthquake at $NZ16 billion.
The police / Civil defense had always said that many of those on the missing list would probably be among the already numbered dead. Basically there would be double ups and once identified， this would mean the missing numbers would drop. It is unbelievably heartwrenching and my thoughts and love are with you Chch.
– Australia pours in more people. High Commissioner Paul OSullivansaid when mily is in trouble you do what you can to help.
12.24pm: US President Barack Obama called Prime Minister Johnkey and they talked for about five minutes about the disaster inChristchurch. The President reiterated that the US stood ready toprovide further help， should New Zealand need it.
7.30am: Prime Minister John Key says the country can copefinancially with this event and we effectively already have a levythrough EQC. He said the economy can withstand this hit but a lotof the kitty covered through insurance levies will be consumded bythis earthquake. He said the Crown balance sheet has the capacityto make payments.
10:36pm Canterbury District Health Board says an Australian Armyfield community medical centre will be set up at Cowel Stadiumtomorrow.
My heart goes out to Christchurch and New Zealand as a whole. Youre in our thoughts and prayers here in Canada.
5.01am Specialised search and rescue teams from all over theworld are descending on Christchurch. Foreign Afirs MinisterMurray McCully said 63 people would arrive today from Japan and theUK， along with 80 from the US. Teams already here include 87 searchand rescue workers from Singapore， 24 from Taiwan and nearly 400from Australia.
5.30am: Civil Defence Minister John Carter is due to give amedia conference at 6am.
All Four Square stores are open， with the exception ofLyttelton.
– cash donations are the best way to support people
11.15am: Gerry Brownlee is appointed Minister of CanterburyEarthquake Recovery. Prime Minister John Key says Brownlees otherportfolios are being reallocated to other ministers. MauriceWilliamson will be associate earthquake minister.
Christchurch quake: Thursday as it happened_eastern heal，2:53am In an official release， Beijing says 20 Chinese studentsare among those thought to be trapped in the quake rubble.
3.05pm: Christchurch welre centres do not need any moredonations of food， bedding or other goods.
6.35am: Superintendent Russell Gibson says there have been nomore survivors found overnight. He says some bodies have beenfound.
2.03am: University of Canterbury Students Association hasorganised a working party for today. About 500 student volunteerswill meet at the UCSA carpark on Ilam Rd at 9am ahead of beingtransported by bus to locations where help is needed under theguidance of Civil Defence.
10.52am: An Irish citizen and a British man are among thevictims of the New Zealand earthquake， the Department of ForeignAfirs in Dublin says.
7.26pm: Earthquake Minister Gerry Brownlee says Orion has beengiven permission to do some overhead wiring which should seeeveryone back with power by the end of next week.
I know it wont change things as some people believe they have the right to do what it takes to survive such a calamity however stealing from their friends， mily， work mates is exactly what these mongrels are doing when they loot， pillage or however you want to describe it. taking advantage of others misfortune is despicable and one only hopes it will happen to them ten fold!!! For the rest of the community who are decent folk， stay strong， be patient， you will get through.
During the first game of the round on Friday evening between theHighlanders and Chiefs at Carisbrook in Dunedin， the Salvation Armywill hold a food collection before the game and the Red Cross willalso take up a collection.
3.19pm: Click here for information on how to donate.
Just two weeks ago I performed in a charity concert inChristchurch to help raise funds for the Christchurch Symphony andSouthern Opera for shortlls caused by the September crisis. Thatnight was a celebration and now those same people have to start allover again.
9.19pm: Soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa says she is deeply saddenedby the earthquake and its aftermath in Christchurch.
4.43pm: Tertiary education minister Steven Joyce has expressedgrave concern for the staff and students of Kings Education， whichwas located on the third floor of the collapsed CTV building. Joycesays he has spoken with Kings Education director John Ryder tooffer any support the government can give.
He said the package would be different from the one createdafter the September earthquake as central Christchurch could be outof action for a considerable period of time.
9.51am The Canterbury District Health Board says several membersof the media were arrested last night for trying to break in andinterview patients. A large number of those trying to get in wereJapanese media.
Joseph Tehau Pohio， aged 40 of Christchurch.
2:29am Quake victims will be honoured during round two of SuperRugby， SANZAR says. It announced this morning that all games willobserve a minutes silence before kick-off and players will wearblack and red arm-bands to acknowledge those affected inChristchurch.
New Zealand Mines Rescue manager Trevor Watts today said aWestern Australian team， who were on their way to Greymouth tosupport the robot operation， had been redirected to Christchurch.The group had specialist camera equipment which could help thequake rescue effort， he said.
Police said residents left willingly and have gone to welrecentres at Cowes Stadium and Pioneer Stadium.
Copyright © 2011， Television New Zealand Limited. Breaking and Daily News， Sport & Weather TV ONE， TV2 Ondemand
5.28am: More tourists have flown from Christchurch to Wellingtontoday. Five air force flights have transported evacuees.
9.17am: Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe has extendedits $50 one way aires from/to Christchurch anywhere on the AirNew Zealand domestic network through until midnight Sunday February27. He says the airline has almost 2000 staff in Christchurch andthey havent been able to contact them all. He said workers areworn out and it is tough to sustain the service.
5.23am: Police made one arrest overnight for a breach of thecordon.
She said she would encourage people at her Perth concerttomorrow night to contribute to the Red Cross Christchurchearthquake appeal.
4.58am: The Kerbside wheelie bin collection in Christchurch willcontinue as normal today.
4.35pm: Rugby New Zealand 2011 Chief Executive Martin Sneddensays the staging of world cup matches， in September and October， isway down the list of priorities. He wont discuss possiblereplacement venues for Canterburys earthquake-damaged AMIStadium.
3.10pm: John Key isnt ruling out Christchurch as a host of theRugby World Cup. He said while AMI stadium has liquection， thereis not substantial damage. He says it is more a question of whetherenough accommodation is available.
1.22pm: Fatalities are expected where buses and cars have beencrushed.
10:45am: The Ministry of Civil Defence & EmergencyManagement is stressing that cash donations are the best way tosupport people affected by the quake.
2.40am:Crusaders chief executive Hamish Riach said: After allthat has happened here in Christchurch and with so many livesaffected by this event， we have decided it would not be appropriateto play a game of rugby against the Hurricanes on Saturday.
7.47am: Brown says they are now prioritising the internal searchprocess of other buildings which have collapsed. He said the focushas been on large buildings of several storeys where there ispotentially people still trapped. Rescuers believe it might beslightly easier and less risky to get into smaller buildings. Brownsays in buildings where six or seven floors have collapsed it takesmore time and effort to do a safe search.
6.30pm: Police say 23 bodies have been pulled from the CTV sitetoday. Superintendent Dave Cliff says that takes the total numberof bodies recovered from the scene to 47. He says unfortunatelythey expect to recover more bodies in the days to come.
7.51pm: Police have provided details of the victimidentification processes they have to go through to correctlyidentify the deceased. This process takes some time.
6.23am: Lyttelton Tunnel remains closed but major highways areopen with minor damage. The rail link betweeen Picton andChristchurch is now open.
2.34pm: John Key says the government is working on a financialpackage for those affected by the Christchurch earthquake. Cabinetwill be discussing the issue on Monday.
7.33am: Key says next of kin will be told first of deaths ， thenpolice are expected to start to release names. He said it is morecomplicated to provide details about international talities.
10.00am: Air Vice Marshall Peter Stockwell said the defenceforce is providing extensive support in Christchurch. He said aswell as vessels off shore there are 80 land vehicles supporting theeffort from. This is the largest operation weve been involved inin New Zealand. The Defence Force is working under the directionof the civil authorities and Stockwell said they have limitedpowers under the state of emergency.
4.29pm: Police have told a meeting of quake victims relativesin Christchurch that it could be a month before bodies recoveredfrom the debris could be released to the milies.
6.55am: Four welre centres are open – Burnside High School，Pioneer Recreation and Sports Centre， Carl Stadium and RangioraBaptist Church. Parker says people should take some bedding andtheir own sanitary needs.
8.59am: Orion chief executive Roger Sutton says as st as hisstaff fix one problem they find another and he cant give atimeframe for when power will be completely restored. He saiddamage involves stretched cables， damaged transformers and polesthat have sunk into the ground.
3.40pm: The government of Mexico has expressed its profounddismay regarding the earthquake and said it is ready and willingto support the Government and people of New Zealand at thisdifficult time.
7.47pm: 2Degrees is finding it challenging to restore itscoverage to Christchurch CBD as it cant access sites on buildingswhich have been heavily damaged. It says it is consideringdeploying one of its mobile cell sites.
7.01pm: Vodafone says its reception in Christchurch is nearlyback to normal， but 14 sites are still down. Theres coverage tomost of the city with only a few black spots in the east and somecall congestion in the Christchurch CBD area. Vodafones stillasking customers limit mobile data usage like Facebook， Twitter，picture messaging and email.
9:56am Teams will begin assessing the state of Christchurchresidents houses and their welre needs this morning. OperationSuburb will send 40 teams of four， consisting of buildingofficials， engineers and welre officers into the suburbs ofBrighton; Dallington; Avonside; Wainoni; Avondale; Parklands;Queenspark; St Martins; Opawa and Lyttelton. The teams will conductassessments of residents properties.
With respect to the reports of trapped Chinese students there， weare very concerned and our embassy in New Zealand is quicklychecking the situation， foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu toldreporters on Thursday.
3.46pm: St John says its teams are continuing to respond toheart problems， chest pains， breathing problems and traumaticinjuries (brain injuries， chest and limb injuries， and crushinjuries).
2.30pm: An advance team of what will eventually be a 55 strongsearch and rescue team is scheduled to arrive in Christchurch fromthe UK at 4pm. The team is bringing 11 tonnes of equipment.