Powerful undersea earthquake shakes central Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia — A powerful undersea earthquake shook parts of south-central Indonesia on Friday, but no major damage or tsunami were expected because of its depth.

The U.S. Geological Service said the temblor had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and hit the Flores Sea, about 132 kilometers (82.5 miles) north of Nebe. It said it was centered at a depth of 547 kilometers (342 miles).

Officials said there was little chance of major damage or a destructive tsunami. Shallower quakes generally cause more shaking of the Earth’s surface and greater damage.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massive magnitude-9.1 earthquake off Sumatra island triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.