Quake shakes Indonesia, tsunami alert issued

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A strong earthquake shook central Indonesia Tuesday, causing tall buildings in the capital to sway and prompting a tsunami alert, authorities and witnesses said.

The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6, struck at a depth of roughly 12 miles (19 kilometers) in the Sunda Strait, about 155 miles northeast of the capital Jakarta, said Fauzi, a government geologist who goes by one name.

The Indonesian Meteorological and Geophysics Agency issued a tsunami alert, but there were no immediate signs of large waves.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at a preliminary 5.6, with a greater depth 40 miles.

Indonesia, a vast island archipelago, straddles continental plates and is prone to seismic activist along what is known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. A giant quake off Aceh spawned the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed more than 130,00 people in Indonesia alone.

Tags: Earthquake, Indonesia