Two buildings in the city center collapsed yesterday with many people inside, and search and rescue teams worked into the night to free them using floodlights. The focus at this stage is to rescue survivors who are trapped, rather than recovery of the dead.
"There is incredible carnage right throughout the city," Police Superintendent Russell Gibson told Radio New Zealand. "There are bodies littering the streets, they are trapped in cars and crushed under rubble."
Around 30 people have been rescued from the two buildings so far, with more believed trapped inside and many unaccounted for. Police say there are dead bodies in both buildings.
The last official death toll of 65 was released on Tuesday night, but officials warned this number is likely to rise. As of 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning, TVNZ and the National Business Review said that there were only 38 bodies in the mortuary, citing police.
"It is difficult to speculate on the total death toll as it is such a rapidly evolving situation," Gibson said in a statement.
The quake destroyed the spire of the city's stone cathedral, and seriously damaged tall buildings, streets, and freeway overpasses, according to media photos taken of the incident. It was the worst earthquake to befall New Zealand in 80 years.
Gibson added that all agencies involved in the rescue operation "are working as hard as possible to bring some clarity to the situation and some answers families and friends."
"We know it will be significant and we know there are a lot of people going through the nightmare ordeal of waiting for news of their loved ones," he said.
