6.5 magnitude quake hits Indonesia; no tsunami threat

A strong but deep earthquake has struck off eastern Indonesia, causing panic among residents in East Timor, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage and there was no danger of a tsunami.

A strong but deep earthquake has struck off eastern Indonesia, causing panic among residents in East Timor, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage and there was no danger of a tsunami.

The US Geological Survey says the magnitude-6.5 quake Sunday was centered off Indonesia's Maluku Baratdaya District, in Maluku province, at a depth of 132 kilometers (82 miles).

The Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency says the quake has no potential to cause a tsunami.

Witnesses say that many residents in East Timor's capital, Dili, ran out of their houses in panic after the quake struck.

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