New Zealand's Prime Minister has said he expects the death toll of the Christchurch earthquake will rise.
"We do have to brace ourselves that while the official toll is 71 that number will rise today and tomorrow," he said.
He added that there was still hope that people would be found alive but there were no positive signs coming from major buildings where people were believed to be trapped.
Rescuers in New Zealand are continuing to comb rubble for earthquake survivors in hopes of finding more people alive. The 6.3 magnitude quake ripped through Christchurch and is the second largest to hit the country. Up to 300 people are still missing.
A national state of emergency has been declared.
Rescue teams face a challenging task ahead after putting in endless hours to find scores of people trapped under collapsed buildings.
Hundreds of foreign rescuers are due to join the exhausted New Zealand teams on Thursday in an increasingly desperate search of quake-shattered buildings in the city centre as time runs out to find survivors buried under rubble.
Much of the city remained without power and water, and hundreds of people queued for water supplies brought in.
Hopes of finding more survivors in some areas was fading after fears that the city's badly damaged buildings could collapse.
One of the collapsed buildings is home to broadcaster, Canterbury Television (CTV), and an English language school. CTV alone has 100 people trapped inside it.
Police have also issued warnings of the possible collapse of a 26-story hotel unleashing a "domino" effect on surrounding buildings.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said the quake-prone city now faced hard decisions on rebuilding its heart: "We are not going to walk away from this place,"
He added: "We may have to level entire blocks in some places."
Rescue teams have had to perform amputations to free some of the 120 survivors pulled from the wreckage of the tremor, which was the second strong quake to hit the historic tourist city in five months.
Pope Benedict XVI has expressed sadness and his deepest condolences to the people of New Zealand during his weekly general audience at the Vatican. The pontif sent a message of support for survivors and rescuers saying his prayers "are with the people who are being severely tested by his tragedy," and asked God "to relieve their suffering and to support all who are involved in the rescue operations".
It was New Zealand's most deadly natural disaster for 80 years, and one estimate said the damage could cost $12 billion.
