Rescue workers this morning began preparing for the grim task of removing bodies from ChristChurch Cathedral as hopes of finding more earthquake survivors fade.

Search and rescue experts lowered a camera into the damaged nave but found no signs of life.

One rescuer, who did not want to be named, said stone and rubble filled the building to a height of around 20 metres.

"We put a camera in but there was nothing," he said. "No sound, nothing."

Up to 22 people are believed to have been buried in the rubble of the cathedral after the spire toppled in Tuesday's 6.3 magnitude quake.

The official death toll rose overnight from 98 to 113, with over 200 people listed as missing.

About 600 search and rescue staff, who failed to find any survivors overnight, have been working in shifts searching the central city rubble.

There is little chance of finding survivors at the flattened Pyne Gould Corporation building, where bodies were pulled from the rubble overnight.

The top two floors of the Canterbury TV building, where up to 122 people are unaccounted for, have been removed, Urban Search and Rescue spokesman Mitchell Brown said.

Ninety international students and staff from private training school King's Education are believed to be inside the building.

Australian and Japanese searchers are continuing to work at the site.

A number of Chinese nationals are believed to have been in class when the building was flattened, China Central Television reported on its website. 

Some of those students have not responded to frantic calls or text messages sent by their relatives, CCTV said, adding police believed some of the students may have been sent to hospital.

While police had previously said there was no chance of survivors at the building, Police Superintendent Russell Gibson told Radio New Zealand they had not lost hope.

Search teams are assessing how to get into the area around the Grand Chancellor Hotel, the only part of the 
the CBD that has not been thoroughly searched.

SEARCHERS SPREAD OUT

Civil Defence Minister John Carter said a final rescue team from the US is expected to arrive later today.

"We're still hopeful of course … but it's getting less and less likely," he said.

A total of 70 people have been pulled alive from the quake rubble with the last last live rescue at 3pm on Wednesday.

The search and rescue teams are now looking in alleyways and other areas where people may have been caught by falling rubble, he said.

"We will just continue with the search until we are satisfied that there are no bodies left to recover," Mr Carter said.

Searchers were still working through the most damaged parts of the city, Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Dave Cliff said.

Rescue workers were using a "process involving sniffer dogs, acoustic testing - looking for any sound - along with cameras which are used to place within the rubble itself to look for any sign of life".

More than 450 people were in welfare centres overnight, 164 had received serious injuries and 11 patients were in intensive care.

Mr Carter said it was hoped that a more comprehensive understanding of the level of infrastructure damage, including water, sewerage and power, would be available in the next 24 to 48 hours.

There was no need for panic buying, as there was sufficient food and water coming into the city, Mr Carter said.

Meanwhile, police last night arrested two men, aged 22 and 23, and charged them with the theft of several emergency generators from the city.

They will attend a special court hearing at the Christchurch central police station today.

QUAKE VICTIMS NAMED

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said this morning that as more names of the dead were released it was going to be increasingly distressing for people.

"Later, as names come out, there will be people you know."

The names of the first four quake victims, including two babies, were released last night.

Jayden Harris, 9 months, and 5-month-old Baxter Gowland perished in the quake. 

Also killed were  Joseph Tehau Pohio, 40, and Jaime Robert McDowell Gilbert, 22. All were from Christchurch.

Two British nationals are also known to have died, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said on Thursday.

Police appealed for understanding from families as they work to identify the bodies of victims.

"We know it's an agonising wait for families desperate to find out about their loved ones, but there is a legal requirement for this work to be completed to standards set by the Coroner," police disaster victim identification commander Mike Wright said.

Police were required to follow the international process of disaster victim identification, which did not rely solely on visual identification.

At least 106 staff were working quickly but methodically on identification which included using fingerprints, DNA, dental records and personal information, he said.

CENSUS CANCELLED

Next month's census has been cancelled due to disruption caused by the Christchurch earthquake

Statistics Minister Maurice Williamson said the decision followed advice from Government Statistician Geoff Bascand that the five-yearly census, due to have been held on March 8, could not go ahead

“This is not the time to go door to door asking New Zealanders for information when they’re dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake,” Mr Williamson said.

The Government is not ruling out a nationwide tax to help fund the rebuilding of Christchurch, but won't be making any decisions soon, Prime Minister John Key said.

Lack of economic activity in the quake-hit city would be a drag on the national economy but the country could cope.

"We've got the financial capacity to deal with the earthquake," he told Radio New Zealand.

Treasury Secretary John Whitehead was travelling to Christchurch today.

Mr Key said he would consider a nationwide tax if it was the best way to pay for the rebuild but said it was too early to think about it yet.

REDCLIFFS EVACUATION

Emergency services last night rushed to evacuate several streets threatened by a possible cliff collapse in the Christchurch suburb of Redcliffs.

Police, firefighters, soldiers and Civil Defence staff rushed to the suburb at about 9.20pm and gave residents only up to 10 minutes to leave their homes

Twelve streets behind Redcliffs Primary School were cleared.

Police said residents left willingly. They went to welfare centres at Cowes Stadium and Pioneer Stadium.

Parts of Clifton Hill near Sumner were evacuated on Wednesday night.

PROGRESS WITH POWER AND WATER

Seventy-five per cent of earthquake-ravaged Christchurch now has power and 40 per cent has water but authorities are still warning people to conserve and boil it before drinking.

In a Civil Defence update late last night, the City Council said improvements to the power supply were being made daily but "progress may be slow due to road damage, as much of the damage to electricity network is underground".

Residents were reminded to boil water twice before using it.

If water was available and there were no sewage flows appearing near the house, residents could flush toilets sparingly but should continue to avoid showering.

Otherwise, residents were advised to dig a hole of reasonable depth, bury their waste and not put it out for the kerbside collection. Scrupulous hygiene should be observed to avoid the spread of disease.

There are 200 portaloos in the city now and 900 should be set up in the next few days, the council said.

At the welfare centres – Rangiora Baptist Church, Cowles Stadium, Burnside High School and Pioneer Recreation and Sports Centre – there was good capacity and food, water and blankets were available.

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