Indonesian earthquake

Magnitude 6.9 quake hits near Indonesian islands

A strong, shallow earthquake has rocked parts of eastern Indonesia.

TVNZ,

1 December, 2013

There have been no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The US Geological Survey says the quake was centered 343 kilometers northwest of Saumlaki, a coastal town in Maluku province, on Sunday morning local time (2.30pm NZT).

It had a magnitude of 6.3 at a depth of about 9 kilometers beneath the sea.

Indonesia's earthquake agency gave a magnitude of 6.7.

No tsunami warning has been issued.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

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In 2004, a monster temblor off Indonesia's Aceh shores triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

Most of the deaths were in Aceh.