Navy ship sent to evacuate NZ quake-hit town Kaikoura

A navy ship has been dispatched to rescue tourists and residents stranded in a New Zealand town hit by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake.

The quake killed two people, damaged roads and buildings and sparked a tsunami warning which sent thousands of people fleeing to higher ground.

Emergency teams flew helicopters to the areas thought to be worst-affected by the quake, which had its epicentre about 57 miles northeast of Christchurch on the country's South Island.

A military helicopter and surveillance aircraft were sent to the small coastal town of Kaikoura, which was left inaccessible by road.

A navy ship has been dispatched to evacuate around 1,000 tourists and hundreds of residents trapped in the town, which had its water supplies and sewerage systems knocked out by the quake.

HMNZS Canterbury is expected to arrive in Kaikoura on Wednesday morning, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Aerial footage showed railway tracks ripped up and thrown 10 metres, while landslips dumped hundreds of tonnes of debris on to the main highway.

Electricity and phones were also down in the town of 2,000 residents, well-known among tourists as a base for whale-watching trips.