Powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia

JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) — A powerful earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on early Sunday, seismologists said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake happened at 9.57 a.m. local time and was centered about 220 kilometers (137 miles) north of Ambon on the country’s Moluccan Islands, according to the Badan Meteorologi Klimatologi Dan Geofisika (BMG), Indonesia’s seismological agency. It struck about 52 kilometers (32 miles) deep.

Both the BMG and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no danger of a tsunami following the earthquake. “A destructive widespread tsunami threat does not exist based on historical earthquake and tsunami data,” a bulletin from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center read. The agency did warn for the potential of local tsunamis within 100 kilometers of the earthquake epicenter.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake had a 6.4-magnitude, but local and regional earthquake centers often have more data available.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the earthquake.

Indonesia is often struck by powerful earthquakes as it is located in the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire”. Most earthquakes do not cause serious damage. On Saturday, Indonesia’s Palau region was struck by a 5.9-magnitude earthquake. No damage or casualties were reported from that earthquake.

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