6.4 magnitude quake strikes off eastern Indonesia

JAKARTA: A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's eastern Maluku islands Thursday, the United States Geological Survey said, but there was no tsunami warning issued or immediate reports of damage. The strong quake hit at a relatively deep 106 kilometres (65 miles), the USGS said. Its epicentre was about 135 kilometres north of Tobelo. Shallow quakes tend to cause more damage than deeper ones.

The Southeast Asian archipelago is one of the most disaster-prone nations on Earth. In 2018, a 7.5 magnitude quake and a subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi island left more than 4,300 people dead or missing.