Strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake strikes off Indonesia's Java; rattles buildings in Jakarta

6.2 magnitude earthquake strikes off Indonesia's Lombak coast
Cracks underwater, measuring at least 80 meter (262 feet) long and 1 meter (3.28 feet) deep, which are believed to have been created by an earthquake Representational Image (Reuters)

A powerful earthquake of 6.1 magnitude hit the Indonesian island of Java and the country's capital Jakarta on Tuesday, said the US Geological Survey (USGS). However, there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

According to USGS, the epicenter of the quake, which struck at 104 km west of the city of Sukabumi at a depth of 33km, was about 153 kilometers (95 miles) southwest of Jakarta.

The Department of Meteorology, Climate and Geophysics in Indonesia said that the quake didn't have the potential to generate a tsunami and thus no warning was issued.

Reports said that buildings in Jakarta, about 100km (62 miles) from the location of the quakes, wayed for at least 10 to 20 seconds sending streams of people into the streets.

Indonesia is positioned on the highly seismically active zone "Pacific Ring of Fire", which is known for collision of tectonic plates, and hence it experiences frequent earthquakes.

This article was first published on January 23, 2018
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