A powerful earthquake struck New Zealand near the city of Christchurch on Sunday, with strong jolts felt over 120 miles away in the capital, Wellington, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The magnitude-7.8 quake struck just after midnight and was centered 57 miles northeast of Christchurch, according to the USGS.

The quake knocked out New Zealand’s emergency call number, 111, for about 10 minutes, police reported. It caused items to fall from shelves and windows to break in Wellington, and forced hundreds of tourists onto the streets as hotels were evacuated.