Authorities in New Zealand's capital urged people who work in the center of the city to stay home on Monday following a powerful earthquake.
Wellington city officials said some large buildings were showing signs of structural stress and that the quake likely caused damage to some buildings.
The city's suburban rail network was shut while crews checked tracks, bridges and tunnels.
The magnitude-7.8 quake struck early Monday, just after midnight.
It was later announced at least 2 people died in the quake, which opened snaking fissures in roads and triggered landslides.
In Wellington, the capital, it collapsed a ferry loading ramp, broke windows and caused items to fall from shelves.
It also forced hundreds of tourists onto the streets as hotels were evacuated.
The full extent of the damage from the quake is unlikely to be known before daybreak.
While there were no immediate reports of serious injuries in Wellington or Christchurch, the quake brought back memories of the magnitude-6.3 earthquake that struck Christchurch in 2011, destroying much of the downtown area and killing 185 people.
That quake was one of New Zealand's worst disasters, causing an estimated $25 billion in damage.