Quake hits Flores

JAKARTA (JP): A powerful earthquake shook Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara, and a vast surrounding area in eastern Indonesia last night.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, but residents of cities in several provinces, such as Denpasar on Bali, Ujungpandang in South Sulawesi, and Palu in Central Sulawesi, reported they felt moderate tremors.

Residents in Larantuka and Maumere, Flores, said the tremor felt "rather strong" but no other effects, such as power cuts, have been reported.

Antara reported the quake, measuring 6.9 on the open-ended Richter scale, struck at 7.25 p.m. local time and lasted "quite long".

Agence France Presse, however, put the quake's magnitude at 7.5 on the Richter scale.

Quoting an official at the headquarters of the meteorology and geophysics office here, the agency said the temblor was centered some 100 kilometers north of the town of Larantuka, on the eastern tip of Flores Island, at a depth of 579 kilometers under the sea.

An earthquake with a magnitude of seven on the Richter scale can cause widespread, heavy damage in a populated area.

Agence France Presse also reported from Tokyo that the Japanese Meteorological Agency measured the quake at 7.3 on the Richter scale, while in Australia, the Canberra Seismology Center estimated it at 8.0. (31/swe/emb)