Police say 98 bodies have been recovered and taken to a temporary morgue, but that number is expected to rise. There are 226 people listed as missing, which is expected to include most of those confirmed dead.
The names released yesterday: -
Joseph Tehau Pohio (40), of Christchurch.
Jaime Robert McDowell Gilbert (22), of Christchurch.
Jayden Harris (9 months), of Christchurch.
Baxtor Gowland (5 months), of Christchurch.
Among those desperate for news of loved ones is popular restaurateur Pedro Carazo. His house is wrecked and his restaurant ruined but what really hurts is the knowledge his son, who teaches English, is missing in the remains of the CTV building.
Powerful aftershocks yesterday continued to rattle the city, where no-one has been rescued since Wednesday afternoon despite urgent efforts to find survivors.
Up to 122 people in the CTV building are unaccounted for, including 90 international students and staff from private training school King's Education, housed in the building.
Police have said there was no chance anyone survived the collapse.
Canterbury district commander Superintendent Dave Cliff said identifying the remaining bodies would be a long and complex process.
"In most cases, visual identification of these bodies is proving to be extremely difficult."
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said the possible deaths of foreign students and staff meant the earthquake was not only a New Zealand tragedy but an international tragedy.
"I know the thoughts of all New Zealanders are with these families, and the Government will do everything it can to assist as they wait for news of their loved ones," Mr McCully said.
Rescue work at the site was halted by safety concerns as the nearby Hotel Grand Chancellor, one of the city's tallest buildings, threatened to collapse.
Hope has faded for survivors at the flattened Pyne Gould Corp building, and police estimate between 16 and 22 people were killed by falling masonry at Christchurch Cathedral.
Searchers were still working through the most damaged parts of the city. 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", Supt Cliff said.
"If we find a body but we can't recover it quickly, we will carry on. This is very much an operation around rescue. It's looking for the living."
International aid has been reaching Christchurch, with the latest arrivals a field hospital from Australia and the first members of an eventual 55-strong search and rescue team from the United Kingdom with 11 tonnes of equipment.
Also arriving are workers and equipment from Australia, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States.
Much of Christchurch's infrastructure is damaged, although the port and Lyttelton tunnel are due to reopen tomorrow.
Power remains off for more than 50,000 people, or about 25% of customers. The power network is still crippled in eastern Christchurch.
About 50% of the city has running water, and tankers are continuing to supply water at points through the city.
Welfare centres were busy but coping with demand despite the lack of water, sewerage and power.
Prime Minister John Key said an "enormous recovery job" lay ahead and the Government was working on a financial package for those affected by the quake.
Mr Key reallocated some ministerial portfolios to free up Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee to focus on the quake aftermath.
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett confirmed almost 1000 people affected by the quake had received emergency funds.
So far, more than $163,000 has been paid out in civil emergency grants.
New Zealand's biggest companies have launched an effort to restore confidence in Christchurch. Fifty executives identified areas they could help with, including water, housing, infrastructure, health services, telecommunications and financial services.
