A 52-year-old man is in a stable condition after having both legs amputated by a visiting surgeon at the PGC building.

Smashing his way into his devastated home today, Christchurch man Ed Langston appeared somewhat resigned to having lost his house and business in Tuesday's deadly earthquake.

Police have delayed releasing the names of those confirmed dead and for whom there are serious concerns.

Rescuers will do everything humanly possible to find any survivors of Tuesday's destructive Christchurch earthquake, say police.

There is no possibility of survivors in the rubble of the Christchurch Cathedral, police said this afternoon.

There are 76 dead in the temporary morgue set up by police in Christchurch and more coming "in ones and twos", Police Minister Judith Collins said as she praised the efforts of rescue workers this afternoon.

Police and security staff are worrying about the possible further collapse of building facades.

More bodies have been recovered from the collapsed CTV building in Christchurch.

Personnel at the PGC building in Christchurch have switched their focus from trying to find survivors to recovering the dead, the company says.

Rescuers have found no survivors at two Christchurch CBD buildings where signs of life were reported this morning, the Fire Service says.

The family of a woman feared dead in the earthquake has suffered another cruel blow with her home being burgled while her children waited for news.

Search and rescue staff are moving into the suburbs of Christchurch looking for the dead and injured from Tuesday's earthquake. The official death toll this morning stands at 72.

Prime Minister John Key has not ruled out imposing an earthquake levy similar to the flood levy brought in Queensland.

It was one of many emotional scenes at the domestic terminal of Auckland Airport as loved ones were reunited

A message from the Pope was read out at a special service to pray for safety in the days ahead.

Christchurch hospitals are busy but coping as patient numbers swell from the earthquake.

Rescuers were last night coming under fire for pulling out of attempts to get to people trapped in the CTV building. The search was abandoned yesterday after police said they were "100 per cent sure" there were no survivors.

At least 14 were still trapped and facing a second cold and lonely night in the mangled PGG building.