Magnitude 6.6 quake hits western Indonesia: USGS

JAKARTA: A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit an island off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia on Thursday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), with no immediate reports of damage or tsunami warning.

The strong quake struck Simeulue Island at 11:56 am (0456 GMT) at a depth of 25 kilometres, the USGS said.

The Indian Ocean tsunami warning centre said after the quake that “there is no threat” of a potential tsunami generated from the quake.

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded the quake with a magnitude of 6.3 at a depth of 10 kilometres, adding that the jolt did not have the potential to cause a tsunami.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago in Southeast Asia, experiences frequent earthquakes due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.

The arc of intense seismic activity, where tectonic plates collide, stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.‑AFP