- A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Christchurch in New Zealand around midnight on Sunday
- That was followed by a 6.3 magnitude aftershock which hit north of Christchurch at around 1.30pm
- A third strong aftershock measuring 5.8 hit the Kaikoura region at about 7.45 local time on Monday
- The NZ Government said the earthquake was felt throughout the country and aftershocks followed
- A two-metre high tsunami hit the east coast of South Island, people told to head for higher ground
- The touring Pakistan cricket team were in the middle of prayers and forced to evacuate their hotel in Nelson
- Prime Minister John Key confirmed at least two people have died in the massive earth quake
- Do you have any photos or footage of the earthquake? Send it to brianne.tolj@mailonline.com
A major 5.8 magnitude aftershock has rocked New Zealand's South Island, north of where two massive earthquakes measuring 6.3 and 7.8 struck less than 24 hours before.
The recent 'strong' quake, which was 35km deep, hit the Kaikoura region at about 7.45 local time on Monday.
An intense 6.3 magnitude aftershock centred in Cheviot, located between Christchurch and Kaikoura, also hit around 1.30pm local time on Monday.
They are included in close to 400 aftershocks in New Zealand since 12am on Sunday when an initial 7.8 earthquake centred north of Christchurch struck, causing extensive destruction, killed two people and triggered a tsunami up to five metres high.
The initial tremor created fractures in major roadways, brought buildings to the ground and forced frightened kiwis to flock to their local supermarkets to stock up on food, drinks and essential supplies.
It comes as authorities warn the worst of the major tremors may not yet be over.
New Zealand earthquake monitoring group GeoNet says there's a 12 per cent chance the country will be shaken by another quake of a 7.0 magnitude or higher before midnight on Monday.
Also worrying for residents is the fact that the Clarence River, one of the largest in the country, has burst its banks causing a huge 'wall of water' to rush towards homes.
An earthquake of magnitude 7.8 has struck near Christchurch, New Zealand, triggering a tsunami with 2.5m high waves.
People living along the coast have been warned to 'move to higher ground' - with the first waves already hitting the north east coast of South Island.
One-metre high waves are now hitting Christchurch in a barrage predicted to last hours.
The quake, which lasted for two minutes, struck in darkness in the early hours of Monday morning in Christchurch which was reduced to rubble by an earthquake just five years ago.
The tsunami threat is for the east coast of all New Zealand including Christchurch, Wellington and the Chatham islands - people across the entire country have been told to stay off beaches.
Also known as a seismic sea waves, tsunamis are a series of waves caused by the displacement of a huge volume of water - in this case, the earthquake
So far, the first waves have hit smaller islands off the east coast of New Zealand but they are expected to hammer the country's larger islands over the next several hours.
A strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit northwestern Argentina Sunday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The quake, at a depth of 62 miles (100 kilometers), struck shortly after 1400 GMT about 16 miles north of the city Chilecito in the South American nation's La Rioja province.
Villagers reported that the movement was felt in the neighboring provinces of Catamarca, Tucuman and Cordoba.
The country's seismic authority also reported three smaller earthquakes Sunday.
The quake near the border with Chile follows a 6.4-magnitude earthquake of "great intensity" earlier this month in central Chile.
That earthquake shook buildings in the capital Santiago, causing panic among residents, whose frantic phone calls clogged cellular networks and land lines, AFP correspondents said.
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