New Zealand: Kaikoura 'locked off' from rest of NZ following quake - PM Key

The area around Kaikoura is currently "locked off from the rest of the country," Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key told the media on Monday following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the area. The quake left infrastructure along New Zealand's coastline near Kaikoura decimated, with a 6.2 aftershock in the area causing further damage.
According to sources, Kaikoura on the East Coast is among the most affected areas. "There's some very short term practical issues that need to be resolved, making sure that we get more water and we get more food and ultimately people to support the nearly 600 that are at the welfare centre because the road access here are blocked off," Key said.
The first tremors, which were registered just after midnight local time (11:00 GMT), left two dead. A tsunami alert was announced for Wellington and surrounding areas, but has since been removed.
Authorities have warned residents to evacuate coastal areas and head inland, or onto higher ground, with a "marine and beach threat" alert remaining in place.
The first earthquake was felt in the South and North Islands, destroying a number of structures and causing power cuts.
The origin of the first quake was registered by the US Geological Survey some 95 km (59 miles) from Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island. The city is still recovering from a deadly earthquake in 2011, which destroyed the city centre and killed 185 people.