Strong quake hits eastern Indonesia, no tsunami warning issued

People gather outdoors at Batu Merah village in Ambon, Indonesia's Maluku islands, following a 6.5-magnitude earthquake on Sep 26, 2019. (Photo: AFP /VNA)

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake, initially measured at a magnitude of 6.8, struck about 37km northeast of Ambon in Maluku province at 8.46 am local time, at a depth of 29km.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage in the area.

Indonesia, which lies on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, often experiences earthquakes and tsunamis.

In August, five people died and several were injured after a powerful undersea earthquake struck Java Island.

In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude quake and a subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi Island left more than 4,300 people dead or missing.

On December 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 people across the region, including about 170,000 in Indonesia./.

VNA