Earthquake jolts Manado

MANADO, North Sulawesi: A mild tectonic earthquake rattled Manado city on Tuesday afternoon, sparking fear among local residents.

No building damage was reported during the earthquake that measured 5.4 on the Richter scale.

Manado Meteorology and Geophysics Office (BMG) chief Soebardjo said that the quake's epicenter was located somewhere in Maluku Sea, some 150 kilometers east of Manado city.

The earthquake was triggered by the movement of Maluku and Halmahera plates, Soebardjo said.

It came after similar 5.3-magnitude quake on Friday that shook the nearby Sangihe regency. -- JP