It would be another long night for the search and rescue operations in Christchurch City in New Zealand as they try to find more survivors from the rubble left by the devastating earthquake that left 75 dead and more than 100 others still missing.

Civil Defence national controller David Coetzee said they simply could not stop as hundreds more are reported missing.

Mr Coetzee said: "It will be completed as these teams work through it. They will not stop until they go through it," he said.

He noted the teams are focusing on 10 buildings considered critical where people could be trapped inside.

Rescue brings hope

This afternoon, an Australian, Ann Bodkin, was rescued under a collapsed building and her husband, Graham, was overjoyed in seeing her alive.

"We just could not give up," Graham said in an interview with the New Zealand Herald.

International aid pours in

As the NZ government declared a national state of emergency this afternoon, and Civil Defence director John Hamilton was heading down to Christchurch to work with the local Civil Defence team.

He noted they are quite grateful for all the help extended by the governments of Australia, Japan, Singapore, US, among others since the rescue operations started yesterday.

"We will be bringing in people from around the country who have Civil Defence expertise to work in there and work alongside the people of Canterbury, just to make sure that everything is giving them the help they need," Civil Defense Minister John Carter added.