Strong earthquake hits the Banda Sea in Indonesia, no damage

[News_Editor]

Strong earthquake hits the Banda Sea in Indonesia, no damage

2010-11-17 05:56:06 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) -- A strong earthquake struck deep underneath the Banda Sea in Indonesia on early Wednesday morning, seismologists said, but there were no reports of damage or casualties.

The 6.4-magnitude earthquake was centered about 252 kilometers (156 miles) north-northwest of Saumlaki on the Tanimbar Islands, part of Indonesia's Maluku province. It struck about 128 kilometers (79 miles) below the surface, making it a deep earthquake, according to the country's seismological center.

No tsunami warning was issued as a result of the earthquake, which was unlikely to have been felt on land due to its distance from land and because of its depth.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the strength of the earthquake at 5.8 on the Richter scale, considerably lower than Indonesia's estimate. However, magnitudes often vary between agencies and especially when they occur far below the surface.

Indonesia is on the so-called 'Pacific Ring of Fire', an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent and large earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions also occur frequently in the region.

On December 26, 2004, one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded struck off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The 9.1-magnitude earthquake unleashed a deadly tsunami, striking scores of countries. In all, at least 227,898 people were killed.

Most recently, on October 25, a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck just off the Mentawai Islands off the western coast of Sumatra. As a result, a wall of water killed at least 435 people on the islands and impacted more than 20 villages.

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