6.6-magnitude quake hits eastern Indonesia, no tsunami alert: USGS

Magnitude-6.6 earthquake hits Indonesia's eastern region with no tsunami warning, highlighting the country's frequent seismic activity.

A magnitude-6.6 earthquake hit Indonesia’s eastern region on April 9, the United States Geological Survey said, with no tsunami warning issued.

The quake struck off Halmahera island in North Maluku province at 0948 GMT at a depth of about 35 kilometres (22 miles), the USGS said.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries after the earthquake.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was “no tsunami threat” from the quake in the Molucca Sea.

But Indonesia’s geophysics agency (BMKG) advised residents in nearby areas of possible aftershocks.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent earthquakes due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity where tectonic plates collide that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. 

A magnitude-6.2 quake that shook Sulawesi island in January 2021 killed more than 100 people and left thousands homeless.