WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Safar 13, 1438, Nov 13, 2016, SPA -- A powerful earthquake struck New Zealand's South Island early Monday, shaking residents awake, causing damage to buildings and prompting emergency services to warn people along the coast to move to higher ground to avoid tsunami waves. The magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck just after midnight in a mostly rural area close to the city of Christchurch, but appeared to be more strongly felt in Wellington, the capital, more than 200 kilometers (120 miles) to the north. Residents said the shaking went on for about three minutes, and was followed by a number of strong aftershocks. The quake temporarily knocked out New Zealand's emergency call number, 111, police reported. Near the epicenter, it opened up snaking fissures in roads and triggered landslides. In Wellington, it collapsed a ferry loading ramp, broke windows and caused items to fall from shelves. It also forced hundreds of tourists onto the streets as hotels were evacuated, according to AP. The full extent of the damage is unlikely to be known before daybreak. Authorities in Wellington were urging people who work in the center of the city to stay home on Monday. City officials said that some large buildings were showing signs of structural stress, and that the quake would likely have caused a mess in some buildings. The city's suburban rail network was shut while crews checked tracks, bridges and tunnels. -- SPA 20:47 LOCAL TIME 17:47 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w268779