Aftershocks rock New Zealand after earthquake kills two

Tremors continue to shake New Zealand after at least two people died in a 7.8-magnitude earthquake.

The quake struck Hammer Springs, 59 miles north-east of Christchurch, on the country's South Island, shortly after midnight on Monday local time (11am Sunday, UK time), triggering a tsunami and forcing the evacuation of thousands of homes.

A state of emergency was declared in the coastal tourist town of Kaikoura, which has been "completely cut off" by the destruction of roads in the region, ABC News says.

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Regional civil defence controller Richard McNamara said roads will be "out for quite some time".

He added: "You only have to look at photos... to tell you that there is a huge amount of damage on state highway one and the main trunk line."

Waves of up to eight feet hit the coast north of Christchurch, where tsunami warnings remain in place. Inland, a landslide blocked the Clarence River and then gave way several hours later, creating a dangerous flood surge.

More than 250 aftershocks have been felt in the hours since the quake, including a 6.2-magnitude tremor at 1pm local time today, which sparked fresh tsunami warnings for the much of the eastern coast.

New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key said the earthquake was "the most significant shock I can remember in Wellington".

He also confirmed the current death toll stands at two. "We don't have any indications at the moment to believe it will rise, but we can't rule that out," he added.

A group of 16 rafters who were briefly feared missing on the flooded Clarence River have been found "safe and well", The Guardian reports.

Rescue and clean-up efforts are likely to be hampered by increasingly bad weather in the region. Authorities have advised Wellington residents to "stay away from the central city today, with concerns forecasted high winds could cause further damage", says Radio NZ.

An earthquake in Christchurch in 2011 killed 185 people.