THE HOME OF A NEW ZEALAND television presenter was burgled as her family waited anxiously outside her ruined workplace after an earthquake struck Christchurch on Tuesday, the Dominion Post reports.

Donna Manning, a producer and presenter, was trapped beneath the rubble of the Canterbury Television building when it was destroyed by the 6.3 magnitude quake.

While Manning’s two teenage children waited with their father outside the CTV building for news of their mother, their house was burgled. The New Zealand Herald reports that the home had been damaged in the earthquake and it was not possible to lock the doors.

Manning’s niece Lisa Gardiner said she found it “unbelievable that people would do that”, while people have been venting their anger at news of the burglary on Twitter.

One user described the thieves as “scum” while another said “some people are so sick!”

Yesterday, police told Manning’s family that there was no chance of finding any survivors in the building because of the extensive damage.

Eight people were rescued from the earthquake-damaged building by Wednesday morning. However, Police said on Thursday: “The work is a recovery operation as more survivors are not expected, but the teams always remain hopeful”.

Rescue teams had to temporarily suspend their search of the site due to safety risks on Wednesday, but were able to resume them later that evening.

The last survivors to have been pulled from the wreckage of Tuesday’s earthquake were found on Wednesday, however search and rescue teams are still hopeful of finding more people alive as hundreds remain unaccounted for.

Police warning

Police have been warning people in the Christchurch area to be vigilant for people posing as officials. Authorities said earlier today that they had received reports of people impersonating emergency staff, although Superintendent Russell Gibon said their ultimate aim was not known:

Whether the goal for these people is for criminal reasons or out of ghoulish curiosity it is not acceptable. Even if these people are trying to find a means to be helpful in some way, it may be well intended but it is misguided.

Police also believe a man in his late 30s or early 40s is posing as an earthquake victim to scam money from sympathetic people.

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