Strong 6.1 quake strikes off eastern Indonesia, US Geological Survey says
No tsunami alert issued, Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre says, after earthquake hits in remote offshore area
A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit eastern Indonesia on Tuesday but there was no tsunami alert, seismologists said.
The quake struck at 7.36am local time, 318 kilometres east-northeast of the East Timor capital Dili in the Banda Sea at a depth of 18 kilometres, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre did not issue any alerts following the tremor in the remote region at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago between East Timor and the Maluku islands.
In an initial assessment, the USGS said there was a low likelihood of damage or casualties.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
A 6.1-magnitude quake struck Indonesia’s main island of Java in January, damaging dozens of buildings.
