‘7.2-magnitude quake hits Indonesia’

An earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale has jolted eastern Indonesia, the US Geological Survey has said.

The strong quake struck eastern Indonesia’s mountainous West Papua province on Saturday but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

According to the US Geological Survey, the quake hit 256 km (159 miles) east of Enarotali and was 58 km (36 miles) deep.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said no tsunami had been generated. Residents ran from their houses in panic, and many remained outside fearing aftershocks.

Indonesia is vulnerable to earthquakes since it is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for its seismic and volcanic activity caused by friction between shifting tectonic plates.

A strong quake off the shores of Indonesia triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 13 countries around the Indian Ocean in 2004. Most of the deaths were in the northern Indonesian province of Aceh.