The duty officer for the country's official earthquake warning site is asleep. Related Content Kaikoura rural residents left out, frustration after earthquake boils over Kaikoura evacuations continue following 7.8 earthquake Video Watch: Earthquake transforms road into cliff12:05amThe nation's emergency call number, 111, fails after operators evacuate their building in the capital, Wellington. "When it comes to the 'threat' or 'no threat' message, we've turned over that responsibility to those countries that already have a tsunami warning system," he said. 12:21amThe U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colorado, issues its first estimate of the quake: magnitude 7.4. Geophysicist Jessica Turner said the Kaikoura quake was particularly complicated to assess because it triggered so many faults over such a wide area.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 19, 2016 18:46 UTC