People trapped alive in rubble

Eleven people have been rescued alive from the rubble in Christchurch overnight.

Civil Defence has said three people were pulled from the CTV building and eight from the Pyne Gould building.

There are still more people trapped. Several have been phoning or texting family or friends from the rubble through the night. People have been calling out and tapping on walls, police say. Emergency workers have had to amputate limbs to get some people out of the rubble.

Search and rescue teams expect to find more bodies as well as they keep looking through collapsed buildings in the central city.

There are fears that the death toll could be as high as 300.

The official death toll has been revised to 39 as police are only counting people they have been able to identify.

Last night Prime Minister John Key said 65 people had been killed. "We may be witnessing New Zealand's darkest days," he said.

The final number of fatalities may not be known for several days until all the buildings in the city and surrounding areas have been searched.

More search and rescue teams arrive today from Australia to support the New Zealand workers.

No part of the central city is untouched by the earthquake.