The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) says a strong 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Friday deep in the ocean off the main Indonesian island of Java and, while it shook many areas of the nation, there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The USGS says the quake struck at 4:55 p.m. local time (0955 GMT), with the epicenter initially detected at a depth of 594 kilometers (369 miles), 96.5 kilometers (60 miles) north of Tuban, Indonesia and about 160 kilometers (99 miles) north-northwest of Surabaya, Indonesia’s second most populous city.
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami but warned of possible aftershocks. The agency measured a preliminary magnitude of 6.6. Variations in early measurements are common.
Reports from social media indicate that while no serious damage was reported, it did cause minor panic in the population centers of central Java, Yogyakarta and the resort area of Bali, where it caused buildings to sway. Pictures and videos were posted of people evacuating buildings and gathering in the streets.
Indonesia experiences frequent quakes due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. In November, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck near Java killing hundreds.
In December 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed nearly 230,000 people in the region.
Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
