Earthquake measuring 7.1-magnitude strikes Indian Ocean

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale has struck the southern Indian Ocean, with no reports of casualties or damage.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake hit around 3,100 kilometers (1,950 miles) southwest of the Australian city of Perth and 1,000 kilometers from the uninhabited Heard Island and McDonald Islands on Friday.

The epicenter of the tremor was located at the Southeast Indian Ridge, a tectonic plate boundary located along the sea floor of the southern Indian Ocean.

There have been no reports of casualties and damage. Australia’s Tsunami Warning Centre also confirmed the strong quake, but said there was currently no threat of a tsunami to Australia.

The southern Indian Ocean is Indonesia is vulnerable to earthquakes since it is located on a region known for its seismic and volcanic activity caused by friction between shifting tectonic plates.

A major earthquake known as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean, killing 230,000 people in 14 countries with the majority of deaths reported in Indonesia followed by Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.