WELLINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - New Zealand will deploy personnel and a military plane to help evacuate its citizens and some Afghan nationals who worked with New Zealand agencies, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.

About 37 Afghan nationals have been identified to have worked alongside the New Zealand Defence Forces, Ardern said at a news conference in Wellington.

The prime minister said the government did not expect the situation in Afghanistan to deteriorate so fast. (Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Christopher Cushing)