Strong 6.1 quake hits area near East Timor
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit eastern Indonesia yesterday, but there was no tsunami alert, seismologists said.
The quake struck at 7.36am local time, 318 kilometres east-northeast of East Timor’s capital Dili in the Banda Sea at a depth of 18 kilometres, the US Geological Survey 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.
Another 6.1 quake that hit Aceh province on Sumatra island in July 2013 killed at least 35 people and left thousands homeless.
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