6.5-magnitude earthquake hits New Zealand near capital, Wellington (VIDEO)

A 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck New Zealand on Sunday, rattling Wellington but causing no injuries and only minor damage.

Aftershocks were felt throughout the day in the capital, although the quake was centered about 35 miles away — off the east coast of New Zealand's South Island in Cook Strait at a depth of just just 6.2 miles, according to the Wall Street Journal.

According to the the United States Geological Survey, which monitors earthquake activity worldwide, the earthquake — which struck around 5 p.m. —  was the result of "oblique thrust" near the boundary of the Pacific and Australia plates.

It came after a series of smaller earthquakes over the last two days, including a magnitude 5.7 quake that shook the region on Friday.

Wellington Police Inspector Marty Parker told the Associated Press that parts of the city were left without power.

And the New Zealand Herald reported broken bottles, water leaks and fallen items from store shelves in the shaking, which hit about 5 p.m. local time Sunday.

Sarah Bennett, who lives in a hillside home in Wellington, a city of about 400,000 residents, told The Herald:

"That's the worst quake I've ever felt."

New Zealand sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a belt of volcanic and quake activity.

Those on the South Island are particularly wary of earthquakes after a magnitude 6.3 earthquake killed 185 people in the city of Christchurch two years ago and largely destroyed the city.