Strong quake jolts Ternate

TERNATE, North Maluku: An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale shook Ternate, the main island in the violence- stricken province of North Maluku, on the first day of 2001.

No casualties or damage were reported following the afternoon quake, which also was felt in Manado, the capital of the neighboring province of North Sulawesi.

The head of the meteorology and geophysics office in Ternate, Ariyo Fauzi, told Antara on Monday the epicenter of the quake was 8.84 degrees latitude and 127.02 degrees longitude, or 627 kilometers north of Bitung in North Sulawesi, and 100 kilometers beneath the sea.

The office said North Maluku was jolted by 12 earthquakes in the year 2000. (amd)