6.6 earthquake hits Indonesia, no tsunami alert
A USGS map shows the epicenter of the magnitude-6.6 quake that hit the Molucca Sea in Indonesia, south of Mindanao, the Philippines. USGS WEBSITE SCREENGRAB
JAKARTA, Indonesia – A strong 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia’s Molucca Sea on Thursday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, but no tsunami alert was issued.
The quake struck at 6:12 a.m. at a depth of 41 kilometers (25 miles), 134 kilometers northwest of Kota Ternate, the USGS said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami threat.
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.
