THE EARTHQUAKE
* 7.5 quake struck at 12.02am not far from Hanmer Springs in North Canterbury in the South Island
* A swarm of aftershocks since, the biggest being 6.2
THE TSUNAMI WARNINGS
* A tsunami warning issued for the east coast of the North Island, South Island and Chatham Island - although it has been downgraded since
* Waves up to 3m above normal could still be expected in some areas
* Confirmation a tsunami was generated
* Canterbury residents within 1km from coast instructed to head inland or to higher ground
* People in low lying parts of these areas told to move immediately inland or to higher ground
THE DAMAGE
* Two people have been confirmed dead
* 245 calls to emergency services overnight - Police said at least one person was trapped in collapsed building in Kaikoura and another Mount Lyford
* Seven-person search and rescue team on way to Kaikoura
* St John Ambulance says total casualties still unknown
* Homes damaged in North Canterbury - Nearly 500 people in Civil Defence evacuation centres in Akaroa School Hall, Linwood College and Mairehau School
* Landslips and bridge damage on road networks, cutting off Hanmer Springs, with power outages in areas near the quake's epicentre
* Train bridge at Wellington ferry terminal collapsed, with damage to buildings around the CBD
* Vodafone phone network affected in parts of Wellington and Christchurch, parts of Spark network running on power generators
ROAD CLOSURES
* SH1 Picton to Waipara
* SH7 Waipara to Springs Junction
TRANSPORT ISSUES
* MetLink suspends services on Wellington train network until inspection and Wellington Railway Station is closed to the public until further notice
* KiwiRail train services in the lower North island and the South Island cancelled pending track checks
* Ferry sailings cancelled until damage assessments at Picton and Wellington can be completed
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.
(Sources: Geonet, CDEM, NZTA, NZ Police)
