Indonesia: Strong 6.4 magnitude earthquake hits off Barat Daya Islands
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Barat Daya Islands in the Maluku province of Indonesia, according to a US Geologic Survey (USGS) alert yesterday.
The tremor struck at 10:24 am local time, 351 kilometres (217 miles) east-northeast of the East Timor capital Dili at a depth of 10 km.
There are no reports of damage or causalities at this time.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue any alerts following the tremor in the remote region at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago between the islands of Timor and New Guinea.
According to the Richter magnitude scale, an earthquake that registers at 6.0-6.9 is considered strong. It can be destructive in areas up to about 160 kilometers (99 mi) across in populated areas. There are only approximately 130 earthquakes of this magnitude seen annually across the globe.
Indonesia lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire, which causes the country to have frequent seismic and volcanic activity. Much larger numbers of earthquakes of smaller magnitude occur very regularly due to the meeting of major tectonic plates in the region.
Photo/CIA
