Unidentified remains may be buried in mass quake grave

The collapsed CTV building, left, and PGC building, right. Photos / Mark Mitchell

The remains of some victims of the February 22 Christchurch earthquake who are unable to be identified may be buried in a mass grave, the Chief Coroner says.

Police yesterday released the names of three more people killed in the quake bringing the total to 169 positively identified.

A total of 181 people have been reported missing.

All those yet to be named died in the CTV building, police told Radio New Zealand.

One option was they would be buried in a mass grave, as was the case in the Erebus disaster in 1979 in which 257 people were killed after a New Zealand plane crashed in Antarctica, the coroner, Judge Neil McLean said.

The challenge of identifying the missing was huge but it remained the hope to positively identify everybody.

Judge MacLean was to meet with representatives of those missing in Christchurch on Friday.

- NZPA