New Zealand emergency services and defense personnel have started to evacuate hundreds of tourists and residents from the southern island town of Kaikoura. This comes a day after a powerful earthquake hit the region, killing two people.

Aerial photo taken on Nov. 14, 2016 shows the damaged highway near the town of Kaikoura, on the northeast coast of the South Island, New Zealand. A severe earthquake rocked New Zealand's South Island early Monday, killing at least two people, damaging infrastructure and housing, leading to power outages and igniting a tsunami threat. (Xinhua/Li Huizi)