Hundreds of survivors stranded by a huge earthquake which struck New Zealand have been brought to Christchurch by naval vessel.<br /><br /> Around 450 tourists and locals from the small seaside town of Kaikoura were taken by HMNZS Canterbury to Christchurch, the South Island’s largest city.<br /><br /> Most tourists continued their journeys.<br /><br /> However, around 130 are being housed temporarily in Canterbury University’s student halls, according to local media.<br /><br /> Kaikoura<br /><br /> The fishing community and popular whale-watching base, ringed by steep mountains, had been completely cut off by large landslides that covered road and rail links.<br /><br /> Air Force helicopters joined a fleet of private helicopters that have ferried hundreds more people from the town to Christchurch over the last few days.<br /><br /> Workers cleared an emergency inland road into Kaikoura, allowing water and other supplies to be trucked in for the first time.<br /><br /> Helos from the #USSSampson arrive in #Kaikoura to assist in disaster relief operations. USNavy #EQNZ usembassynz PacificCommand pic.twitter.com/QpXskis4IK— Mark Gilbert (ambmarkgilbert) November 17, 2016<br /><br /> 5000 litres of water was air dropped into Kaikoura this evening by the Defence Force pic.twitter.com/1OyCB1nXs3— Maja Burry (@MajaBurry) November 16, 2016<br /><br /> Waiau<br /><br /> Residents in the town of Waiau continue to clean up.<br /><br /> Many are having to deal with the stress of aftershocks.<br /><br /> Storms lashed the region on Thursday.<br /><br /> Seismologists are still recording hundreds of aftershocks. An estimated 2,000 have rattled the region since the initial tremor shook shortly after midnight on Sunday.<br /><br /> The earthquake<br /><br /> Two people were killed and dozens injured by the magnitude 7.8 quake.<br /><br /> Two almost-simultaneous tremors ruptured faultlines across the top of New Zealand’s South Island.<br /><br /> The timing of the quake – shortly after midnight on Sunday – combined with the epicentre being in a sparsely-populated region prevented a higher death toll, the authorities have said.<br /><br /> A tsunami alert that followed sent many rushing for higher ground before the threat was lowered.<br /><br /> Kaikoura coastline before and after the earthquake pic.twitter.com/nmV8KEnuug— Philip Fierlinger (@skyrize) November 17, 2016<br /><br /> Seabed lifted in #NewZealand during the #Kaikoura #earthquake. Via. lou_gordongreen & NZDefenceForce pic.twitter.com/SreHGPe0bT— Janine Krippner (@janinekrippner) November 14, 2016<br /><br /> The whole seabed raised out of the ground #kaikoura #eqnz #earthquakenz pic.twitter.com/CbUVW5YjX2— Lou (@lou_gordongreen) November 14, 2016<br /><br /> The cost<br /><br /> The quake’s cost could add up to almost eight billion euros.<br /><br /> The concern is that this could push the government’s budget back into deficit after two years of surpluses.<br /><br /> Prime Minister John Key said earlier in the week the damage bill would be around 1.3 billion euros. However, he cautioned this was an early estimate.<br /><br /> Finance Minister Bill English told parliament the damage was “relatively localised”.<br /><br /> In 2011, an earthquake in Christchurch,
