The human and economic cost of yesterday's Christchurch quake is "horrendous" says Labour leader Phil Goff, who has watched a woman's body being pulled from the rubble of a destroyed building.
Mr Goff, who was in the city during the 6.3 magnitude earthquake, told NZPA today that he had seen a lot of positive signs as rescuers battled through aftershocks to pull trapped people from buildings.
However, he said the scale of devastation in the city was stunning and it was clear not every story would end in a happy rescue.
"You look at CTV (Canterbury Television) and its smouldering ruins, I was told late last night, early this morning, there were 87 people who were in that building, I think only a handful have got out," he said.
"Walking down the street, they were just pulling out the bodies of a young woman, while I was there, crushed by the masonry of the building."
Mr Goff said he and fellow MPs would spend today visiting welfare centres, speaking with rescuers, and would try and be the eyes and ears for their colleagues in Wellington.
