Strong earthquake strikes off coast of eastern Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A strong earthquake has struck off the coast of eastern Indonesia, but officials say there is no threat of a tsunami.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude-6.9 quake hit Wednesday afternoon 106 kilometers (66 miles) southeast of Amahai, a town on Seram, the biggest island in Maluku province.

It said the quake was centered in the Banda Sea at a depth of 33.9 kilometers (21 miles).

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Geophysics and Climatology Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massive earthquake off Sumatra island triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

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