A strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck North Maluku province on Monday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said, but there were no immediate reports of heavy damage or deaths.

The Indonesian geological agency pegged the magnitude at 5.9 with no threat of tsunami. North Maluku covers the northern part of the Maluku islands.

The quake's epicentre was 11 km (6.8 miles) northeast of Jailolo, on Halmahera island, at a depth of 168 km, the agency added.

The quake was felt in several cities in North Maluku and North Sulawesi, which is west of the epicentre.

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Residents of Jailolo felt the quake, said Boy Telu, a member of staff at a hotel in the town, but he did not see any immediate damage.

In North Sulawesi's, Manado, the quake was felt strongly and caused some panic, a resident said. A video uploaded on Instagram showed some Manado residents pouring out of a cinema.

The disaster agency said a sports centre was reportedly damaged in Manado.

Indonesia straddles the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire," an area of high seismic activity that rests atop multiple tectonic plates.

Source:
courtesy of THE JAKARTA POST

by THE JAKARTA POST

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