THE EARTHQUAKE
* 7.5 quake struck at 12.02am not far from Hanmer Springs in North Canterbury in the South Island
* Hundreds of aftershocks since, the biggest being a severe 6.3 near Cheviot
THE DAMAGE
* Two people have been confirmed dead - one person was trapped after the Elms Homestead building in Kaikoura collapsed and another died at Mount Lyford
* State of emergency declared in Kaikoura and Hurunui - with towns in the area cut off due to severe slips and damage to roads
* North Canterbury residents being urged to conserve water and treat all water from taps before use. Sewerage systems and water supplies down in Kaikoura
* A 20-person search and rescue team and dogs have arrived in Kaikoura with Prime Minister John Key also touching down in the area on Monday afternoon
* Power restored in Kaikoura and Hanmer Springs but 1200 homes still without power in Culverden and Cheviot
* A truck driver feared to be trapped in a landslip has been found safe, according to reports
* Both Vodafone and Spark say parts of phone networks have been affected
* Wellington and Lower Hutt commuters warned to avoid going into city with damage to buildings around the CBD and a severe weather warning for strong winds and rain issued for later in the day
TRANSPORT
* SH1 closed from Picton to Waipara
* SH7 closed from Waipara to Springs Junction
* Landslips and severe damage to highways cutting off Kaikoura
* KiwiRail main line services in the lower North island and entire South Island cancelled pending track checks - damaged described as worst since 2010
* Wellington trains suspended until inspection and Wellington Railway Station is closed to the public until further notice - to be reassessed on Monday afternoon
* Ferry sailings cancelled until damage assessments at Picton and Wellington can be completed
THE TSUNAMI WARNINGS
* A tsunami warning issued for the east coast of the North Island, South Island and Chatham Island - it has since been cancelled
* Confirmation a tsunami was generated
SCHOOLS
* Schools from North Canterbury to Wellington are being told to stay closed until they are checked for damage
* NZQA says NCEA exams will continue at unaffected schools. Students at closed schools to be given emergency derived grades. Scholarship exams are postponed
(Sources: Geonet, CDEM, NZTA, NZ Police, NZQA)
