Underwater quake shakes Indonesia's Java, no tsunami warning

An underwater earthquake rattled Indonesia’s Java. But no tsunami warnings have been posted and there were no immediate reports of major damage or casualties.

Malang (Indonesia): A strong underwater earthquake rattled Indonesia’s main island of Java on Saturday, but no tsunami warnings have been posted and there were no immediate reports of major damage or casualties.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 6.0 quake at a depth of 82 kilometers (50.9 miles) was centered 44.8 kilometers (27.8 miles) south of Sumberpucung town of Malang District in East Java province.

Rahmat Triyono, the head of Indonesia’s earthquake and tsunami center, said in a statement the undersea earthquake did not have the potential to cause a tsunami. He urged people to stay away from slopes of soil or rocks that have the potential for landslides, as people in some parts of the province felt a moderate tremor for a few seconds.

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The disaster agency released photos of a damaged ceiling at a hospital in Blitar, a neighboring city of Malang, while the roofs of some houses were reportedly damaged.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 270 million people, is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis because of its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

In January, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake killed at least 105 people and injured nearly 6,500, while more than 92,000 displaced, after striking Mamuju and Majene districts in West Sulawesi province.

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AP