Quake rocks Sumbawa island

Quake rocks Sumbawa island

JAKARTA: An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale jolted Sumbawa Island early on Friday but there were no reports of casualties or damage, seismologists said.

The offshore quake struck at 7.15 am with the epicenter 140 kilometers south of the island, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said.

The tremor, which was centered 33 kilometers below the sea floor, was also felt in other parts of the island.

On Dec. 26 last year, a 9.3-magnitude quake off the west coast of Aceh on Sumatra triggered tsunamis that left at least 217,000 people dead around the Indian Ocean, including 131,000 in Aceh.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Rim of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity. -- AFP