Quake hits near Indonesia's Moluccas islands

Jakarta, Nov 29: A strong undersea earthquake struck near the Moluccas islands in northern Indonesia today, the US Geological Survey said on its Web site, but there were no reports of a tsunami or casualties.

The US agency put the strength of the quake, which struck at 0702 hrs at a magnitude of 6.1.

Indonesia's state meteorological agency in Manado on nearby Sulawesi island originally measured it at a 6.6 magnitude and because of that issued a tsunami warning to local broadcasters.

''With that magnitude, it has a tsunami potential but a tsunami has not happened. If it did happen, it would have occurred by now. But we had to circulate a tsunami warning here,'' agency official Mudjie told Reuters by phone from Manado, which was 360 km from the epicentre in the Moluccas sea.

''We are waiting for signs to cancel (the warning),'' he said.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Warning Tsunami Warning Centre did not issue a tsunami warning.

Manado, the closest large city from the epicentre, is some 2,200 km northeast of the capital Jakarta.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the earthquake.

REUTERS