Hopes are fading of finding survivors beneath the debris in the aftermath of Tuesday’s earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, which is home to 400, 000 people.

The death toll has risen to ninety-eight and according to Prime Minister John Key this number could continue to rise substantially.

23 bodies were recovered from the devastated CTV building, bringing the total number of victims from the building to 47.

According to police 226 people are still missing - up to 120 of them at one site alone.

Despite the fact that hopes are fading for survivors, the rescue effort continues.

The earthquake struck at a shallow depth of 5km (3.1 miles) early in the afternoon on Tuesday, when the South Island city was at its busiest.

Tourism

Christchurch is a popular tourist destination on the southern island of New Zealand.

Its close proximity to the Southern Alps ski-fields and international airport make the city a stopover destination for many visitors to the country.

Pacific Ring of Fire

The quake is the most deadly to hit New Zealand since a 7.8-magnitude tremor killed 256 people in the Hawke’s Bay region in 1931.

New Zealand was also struck last year, with a 7.0 magnitude quake reduced 100,000 homes in the Christchurch area to rouble on September 4th last year.

New Zealand sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a vast zone of seismic and volcanic activity stretching from Chile on one side to Japan and Indonesia on the other.