Magnitude 6.6 earthquake rocks Indonesia; tsunami unlikely

USGS

JAKARTA, Indonesia — A strong undersea earthquake has hit off the coast of Indonesia’s main island of Java, but no injuries or serious damage were reported immediately.

The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said the temblor Tuesday had a magnitude of 6.1 and was unlikely to trigger a tsunami.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake measured 6.6 and struck about 93.8 kilometers (58 miles) north of Batang, a coastal town in Central Java province. It said it was centered at a depth of about 528 kilometers (328.5 miles).

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because of its location along the Pacific “Ring of Fire.” A powerful Indian Ocean quake and tsunami in 2004 killed a total of 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Indonesia.