Hundreds Missing After Christchurch Quake

Officials say the death toll of 75 is certain to rise.

Rescue workers have given up on finding survivors in all but a dozen buildings in New Zealand’s second largest city, which is still reeling from a 6.3-magnitude earthquake that hit around lunchtime Tuesday. Police are using sniffer dogs and thermal cameras to attempt to locate people trapped beneath the rubble in the few buildings where they think someone might still be alive. At least 300 people are missing. One of Christchurch’s tallest buildings, the 27-storey Hotel Grand Chancellor, could be on the verge of collapse; it is visibly sinking on one corner and officials say it sustained major structural damage. Much of the city of 350,000 remains without power or running water and a 6:30 pm curfew has been imposed.