Strong earthquake jolts Flores

JAKARTA (JP): A tectonic earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter Scale jolted Flores in East Nusa Tenggara yesterday but there were no immediate reports on damages or casualties, an official said.

The earthquake occurred yesterday at 16 minutes past midnight. Its epicenter was located 110 km northeast of Ruteng, 1,550 km east of Jakarta, according to Jati Cipto Kuncoro at the Jakarta- based Meteorologic and Geophysical Center.

"We are still waiting for further information on casualties and damages," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

Jati said that tremors were also felt in nearby Maumere and Waingapu.

Last June, two people were killed and more than 100 houses were damaged when an earthquake measuring 5.2 on the open-ended scale shook the island.

In 1992, more than 2,000 were killed on sparsely populated Flores when an earthquake measuring 6.8 triggered tidal waves.

Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country with more than 190 million people, lies on a major earthquake belt known as the Pacific Rim. (imn)