Jakarta, July 16: A strong earthquake of magnitude of 5.7 on the Richter Scale hit Indonesia on Tuesday. Authorities say a subsea earthquake shook Bali, Lombok and East Java but didn't have the potential to cause a tsunami. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake the Bali region, a famous holiday destination. Reports inform that the massive quake hit the region at 00:18 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) on Tuesday. The epicentre of the quake is yet to be ascertained. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to the property as a result of the quake. Earthquake in Indonesia: Strong Quakes Hits Halmahera Island, No Major Damage Reported.
On Sunday, a strong earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck off the Maluku islands in Eastern Indonesia, the USGS said. The epicentre of the quake, which occurred at around 9:10 (UTC), was registered at a depth of 10 kilometres, about 102 kilometres off the coastal town of Laiwui.
Indonesia is highly susceptible to earthquakes and tsunamis as it lies in the highly seismic ‘Ring of Fire’, an area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean. The deadliest quake hit the island nation on December 2004. A devastating 9.1 magnitude quake off the Sumatra island triggered strong tsunami waves in the Indian Ocean, killing over two lakh people in dozens of countries, including many in India and Sri Lanka.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 16, 2019 08:25 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).