Search teams in Christchurch, New Zealand, have reacted with relief after finding no bodies in the rubble of the earthquake-hit cathedral.
Cathedral Dean Peter Beck told Radio New Zealand that he "burst into tears" on hearing the news.
It was feared that as many as 22 people could have been inside the cathedral when the quake struck on 22 February.
The confirmed death toll stands at 165 after two more bodies were found in the rubble of the Canterbury TV building.
Christchurch's shattered cathedral with its broken spire became one of the most striking images after the 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck.
"We have cleared the cathedral site and we found no bodies in the cathedral at all, so to us that is fantastic news," police Supt Sandra Manderson told Radio New Zealand.
She said police were now reviewing the list of missing people and the death toll could be lower than first feared.
Officials had said as many as 240 people could have lost their lives in the quake.
"It will be really good if that does go down, and it's highly possible," Supt Manderson said.
'Speechless'Dean Peter Beck said he heard the news from the head of the Urban Search and Rescue task force, Ralph Moore.
"I was expecting to get a call from him saying they had found a body and I and my colleagues were going to go down and say prayers at the side of the body," he said.
"But of course I got this other news and I just burst into tears. I was speechless, it was unbelievable."
Earlier this week, police said 90 of the bodies found so far were pulled from the Canterbury TV Building.
Rebuilding costs from the earthquake are put at billions of dollars.
It is estimated that up to a third of Christchurch's buildings have been, or will have to be, demolished.
紐西蘭基督城大教堂在震撼中倒塌，竟無人埋骨其下。基督城聖公會主任牧師貝克（Peter Beck）今天表示，當他得知這個令人「不敢置信」的消息時，不禁激動落淚。
自從22日6.3強震襲擊紐西蘭第2大城以來，各界擔心擁有130年歷史的市中心教堂碎瓦恐掩埋了最多22具屍骨。
但是貝克表示，今天一早城市搜救隊（UrbanSearch and Rescue Force）報告無人在教堂內喪生。
「我以為他會打來告訴我找到了屍體，我和同事就要趕到罹難者身旁祈禱。」
「但卻正好相反，我的眼淚不禁奪眶而出、震驚無語，這實在太難以置信。」
已確認的地震死亡人數今天仍維持在165人，警方先前表示他們預期死亡人數升破240人，不過現在有望減少。
警察總監曼德森（Sandra Manderson）接受「紐西蘭廣播電台」（Radio New Zealand）表示，當局正想辦法釐清22人受困教堂的估計從何而來，也重新檢視失聯人口名單。
她表示，「城市搜救隊已清查全區，包括鐘塔、教堂和週邊都沒有找到任何屍體。」「如果死亡人數真的下降，那實在是太好了。我認為可能性相當大。」
城市搜救隊助理指揮官白克斯特（Paul Baxter）證實他們已清空倒塌的教堂尖塔內部。「裡面沒人。」
白克斯特在媒體記者會上表示，當他們完成教堂搜索卻沒找到任何1具屍體時，「感覺像夢一般不真實。」
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