As rescuers race to find anyone still trapped in the rubble left by the devastating earthquake in New Zealand, a nighttime curfew has been imposed in the heart of the hard-hit city of Christchurch.

Fire Service commander Mike Hall warned at least one of the buildings in the restricted area -- the 27-storey Hotel Grand Chancellor -- was showing signs of buckling and in imminent danger of collapse.

In an interview from Christchurch, journalist Tony Benny said people are being kept out of the central business district as a precaution against aftershocks that threaten to collapse such shaky buildings, and also to prevent any opportunistic crime sprees.

At least six people have been arrested for looting, Benny told CTV's Canada AM, and police don't want that number to grow.

"The rest of the town you can get around, albeit with difficulty because roads have great cracks in them, bridges are out," Benny explained, adding that the mixture of water and sand that bubbled to the surface throughout the city has made movement anywhere else a chore.

"It really has brought the town to its knees," Benny said.

Officials have counted 75 dead and 300 missing since a magnitude-6.3 quake struck the city in the early afternoon on Tuesday.

While rescuers are in a race against time to find anyone still alive amongst the rubble, police operations commander Inspector Dave Lawry said it is already too late for anyone in the seven-storey glass and concrete Canterbury Television building that housed a regional TV network as well as an English-language school and several other businesses.

As many as 15 Canterbury television employees and 10 Japanese language students are missing and assumed trapped under the building.

"We don't believe this site is now survivable," Lawry told reporters, announcing that the rescue effort there would shift to other locations.

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said 120 people were rescued overnight Tuesday, while more bodies were also recovered. Although 300 people remain unaccounted for, Parker emphasised that did not mean they are all still trapped.

But WeatherWatch analyst Philip Duncan says New Zealanders are nevertheless braced for more grim news.

"The death toll is expected to jump quite dramatically in the coming day or two," he said, referring to unconfirmed reports as many as 100 people could be trapped in the rubble of the Canterbury TV building alone.

"Most New Zealanders, while it hasn't been made official, are preparing for the worst," Duncan told Canada AM.

In the meantime, officials are asking anyone affected, but unhurt by the powerful temblor to remain at home if possible. Showering and toilet-flushing should also be kept to a minimum, they say, in order to avoid excess strain on the city's damaged sewer system.

Tanker trucks have been set up at 14 locations throughout the city for residents to collect potable water.

Benny said Christchurch residents are doing their best to cope with a very difficult situation.

"Although it's summertime here, it's cold and raining, so it's a pretty miserable time," he said.

Prime Minister John Key has declared the quake a national disaster which JP Morgan analyst Michael Huttner has already estimated could cost up to US$12 billion in insurance losses.

Countries around the world, including Canada, have offered to send help if required. So far, teams have rushed in from Australia, Asia, the United States and Britain to help repair power, water and phone lines and provide medical and logistical support.

While the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday it had no reports of Canadians affected by the quake, officials with the Canadian High Commission in Wellington are ready to help if needed.

Anyone seeking information on Canadians believed to be in New Zealand can contact Foreign Affairs at 1-800-387-3124.

With files from The Associated Press

Feb. 23, 2011

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