Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Christchurch Earthquake Death toll reaches 75

12.10pm 23 February 2010

Death toll reaches 75

Police have confirmed that 75 people have been confirmed dead following yesterday's earthquake in Christchurch.

Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Dave Cliff says the bodies of 55 people have been identified, and another 20 are awaiting identification.

Superintendent Cliff says 300 people are reported missing. Some of these people could be trapped in buildings but others may just have difficulty contacting family.

He says rescue operations are continuing in a number of buildings in the central city, 10 of which remain a priority.

The focus remains on rescuing those people who are alive.

Superintendent Cliff says more than 40 police cordons remain in place around the city, and he is urging people to take heed of these.

There has been a request for 300 Australian police officers to assist in the rescue operation. These officers will work in tandem with New Zealand staff on the ground.

Around 80% of the city remains without water, but power has been restored to the majority of the central city.

Many people concerned for friends, relatives and close family members that may still be in the area have been going to work sites and damaged buildings in an effort to locate them.

This is causing some concern for staff there as they are not able to provide the information required.

Police would prefer people to come to the Family Liaison Centre at Papanui Police Station on the corner of Main North Road and Mary Street where their concerns can be registered.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Many people have been reported missing to the Police already and those calls are all being responded to by telephone.

If the public have already reported their family and friends missing, those people will be contacted by Police with information as it becomes available. Clearly it will be some time before all pertinent information comes to hand.

If anyone has the ability to contact Police by email then they should use the following address and this will save people travelling unnecessarily.

If people are at home they can be contacted there more easily and we would encourage people to do that as it frees up the roads as many are in poor condition and traffic lights are not all working.

The email address is - northern.cib.canterbury@police.govt.nz

Please enter the subject line as follows -

Example: Missing Persons Report / Jane Smith

For those wanting to report missing people, they should use the following:
For New Zealand 0800 733 276
From overseas 0064 785 02 199


ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.