Preliminary magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes New Zealand, USGS says

The USGS said Sunday a preliminary magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck New Zealand.

The powerful quake struck about 30 miles outside Amberely, roughly 57 miles northeast of the city of Christchurch, according to the agency.

Strong jolts were felt over 120 miles away in the capital of Wellington.

There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries.

There was no immediate danger of a tsunami, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

The earthquake was at a relatively shallow depth of 6 miles, according to the USGS.Earthquakes tend to be more strongly felt on the surface when they're shallow.

New Zealand sits on the "Ring of Fire," an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes are common. An earthquake in 2011 in Christchurch killed 185 people.