A strong earthquake measuring 6,8 on the Richter scale struck near Indonesia’s Nias Island late on Tuesday, seismologists said.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The underwater quake hit at 10.28pm local time at a depth of 1,9km, some 270km south-west of Sibolga on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the United States Geological Survey said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said ”a destructive widespread tsunami threat does not exist based on historical earthquake and tsunami data”.
”However, there is a very small possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a hundred kilometres from the earthquake epicentre,” the centre said on its website.
Nias was one of the worst areas affected by the December 26 2004 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that killed more than 220 000 people around the Indian Ocean, including 168 000 people in the Indonesian province of Aceh.
That quake measured,9.3 on the Richter scale.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific ”Ring of Fire”, where the meeting of continental plates causes frequent seismic activity.
A geographical fault line runs parallel to the Indonesian island of Sumatra and tectonic activities along it have repeatedly led to strong earthquakes. — AFP
