Powerful earthquake shakes Indonesia; no injuries expected

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A powerful earthquake shook islands in eastern Indonesia on Wednesday evening, but no damage or injuries were expected.

The quake measured a preliminary magnitude 6.8 and was centred below the sea at a depth of 107 kilometres (67 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was located 205 kilometres (128 miles) northwest of the nearest city, Saumlaki, it said.

The earthquake triggered moderate shaking and was unlikely to cause injuries or economic losses, USGS said.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 260 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.