Shallow Quake Hits off Indonesia

A moderate but shallow earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia on Thursday in the Molucca Sea, seismologists said, but there was no tsunami alert or immediate reports of damage.

The US Geological Survey said a 5.6-magnitude quake struck at 4:46 am (2046 GMT Tuesday), at a depth of eight kilometres (six miles) and was centred 144 kilometres southwest of Ternate, Moluccas. Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.