6.6 earthquake hits central Indonesia, no tsunami alert

By AFP
28 February 2015
6.6 earthquake hits central Indonesia, no tsunami alert
Indonesia has just been hit by another serious earthquake, but no repeat of the quake and tsunami of 2004. An aerial view of the devastated coastal area in Banda Aceh, Indonesia February 2005. Photo: Mast Irham/EPA

A 6.6-magnitude undersea earthquake hit central Indonesia on February 27, the US Geological Survey said, but there was no tsunami alert and no immediate reports of damage or casualties. 
The quake struck in the Flores Sea at a depth of 547 kilometres [340 miles], 151 kilometres northeast of Maumere, the largest town on Flores island, the USGS said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat of a destructive wave from the quake. 
Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
A huge undersea quake in 2004 triggered a tsunami that killed more than 170,000 people in Aceh province, on western Sumatra island, and tens of thousands more in other countries with coasts on the Indian Ocean.
© AFP