Quake jolts eastern Indonesian islands

The undersea tremor hit at 8.15 am and was cantered at a depth of 50 kilometres under the sea.

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake shook islands in Indonesia's eastern Maluku province on Sunday but there were no reports of damage or casualties, the meteorology office said.

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The undersea tremor hit at 8.15 am and was cantered at a depth of 50 kilometres under the sea, some 200 kilometres north of the Maluku capital Ambon, a spokesman said.

The quake was felt moderately in Ternate, North Maluku, he said, but there were no immediate report of damages or casualties.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the city of Yogyakarta and its surrounds on the Indonesian island of Java on May 27, killing some 5,800 people.