Trapped in excruciating pain for hours while pinned under a concrete wall, Brian Coker wanted a "decent aftershock to finish it". Instead, the 52-year-old says his wife saved by alerting rescue teams to his plight.

New Zealand could make much greater use of satellite images, says Southland group.

As Rob Cope-Williams looks at search and rescue workers picking through the crumbled mess of the CTV building, tears silently roll down his face.

Some Christchurch renters fleeing the shaken city are getting little charity from landlords, who are trying to keep them locked into contracts.

Commitment shown by business leaders to help Christchurch recover is a show of solidarity but also the right call economically, says BusinessNZ chief executive Phil O'Reilly.

The death toll has increased to 147, and with more than 50 people unaccounted for, it will be higher than 200, police said tonight.

John Key today launched the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal, a global fundraiser for the recovery effort in the city and the Canterbury region.

A leading structural engineer says our cities may have been "a little passive" about strengthening our buildings.

Christchurch's damage is on par with Haiti, says Helen Clark.

Relief workers from New Zealand and overseas are working tirelessly in Christchurch.

Officials say 'horrendous' injuries are making victim identification difficult, as the massive rescue effort continues.

A round-up of the current situation in Christchurch as rescuers continue scouring the shattered city for survivors.