WELLINGTON: A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 struck off New Zealand on Sunday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The quake hit at a depth of 35 kilometres off the remote Kermadec islands at 9:12 pm (0912 GMT), the USGS said.

Earthquakes are frequent in New Zealand, where the boundaries of continental plates meet as part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire," causing earthquakes and volcanic activity. - AFP/de