A highway near Kaikoura, New Zealand was damaged after an earthquake early Monday. The quake triggered landslides and a small tsunami, but largely spared the country the devastation it experienced from another quake five years ago. (David Alexander/AP)

New Zealand is planning to send in military helicopters and a navy ship to rescue about 1,000 tourists and hundreds of residents who remain stranded in the coastal town of Kaikoura after a powerful earthquake Monday cut off train and vehicle access.

The 7.8-magnitude quake struck the South Island just after midnight. It killed two people and triggered a small tsunami. It also brought down rocks and mud that swept across highways and cracked roads.

Home to about 2,000 residents, Kaikoura is a popular destination for travelers taking part in whale-watching expeditions or wanting a stopover with mountain views. But the quake knocked out water supplies and sewage systems and left people with no easy way out.

“From all directions, Kaikoura has essentially been isolated,” said Air Commodore Darryn Webb, the acting commander of New Zealand’s joint forces.

Webb said the military planned to begin using four NH90 helicopters Tuesday that could each transport about 18 people at a time out of the town. He said a ship also was leaving Auckland on Monday night that could pick up hundreds of people if weather allowed.





He said that the weather forecast was not looking great and that the operation could take several days. He said that if needed, a C-130 military transport plane could drop fuel, water, food and other supplies to the town.

Elsewhere, strong aftershocks continued to shake New Zealand on Monday, rattling nerves. The country was largely spared the devastation it experienced in 2011 when an earthquake struck the city of Christchurch and killed 185 people. That quake was one of New Zealand’s worst disasters, causing an estimated $25 billion in damage.

Monday’s quake caused damage in Wellington, the capital, and was strongly felt in Christchurch. Residents said the shaking lastedabout three minutes.

Police said one person died in Kaikoura and another in Mount Lyford, a nearby ski resort. Several other people suffered minor injuries in Kaikoura, a police spokeswoman said.

Prime Minister John Key flew over the destruction in Kaikoura by helicopter as aftershocks kicked up dust from the landslides below. Cars could be seen lying on their sides and parts of the road were clearly impassable.

“It’s just utter devastation,” Key said.

He later toured the area and met with locals. He estimated that the cleanup effort would run into billions of dollars and said clearing the debris and blocked roads could take months.