February 21, 2007	Wednesday	Safar 3, 1428

JAKARTA, Feb 20: Indonesia issued a tsunami warning on Tuesday after a strong earthquake struck off the Moluccas islands in the country’s east, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The magnitude 6.6 quake occurred at 3.04 pm (0804 GMT) with an epicentre 45km southwest of Labuha in North Maluku province, the Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said in a telephone text message.

It had the potential to cause a tsunami, it added. The US Geological Survey initially put the earthquake strength at 6.9 magnitude, but then revised that to 6.5. It put the depth at 31km in a bulletin on its website.

“We are trying to get information from the region. If after one hour there’s no tsunami, we can say it’s safe. So far there’s no report of damage from Labuha,” Fauzi, an official at the meteorology agency’s quake centre, said.

The centre’s chief, Suharjono, also said no damage or casualties had been reported immediately after the quake.

Indonesia sits atop the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire” where the collision of continental plates brings frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

—Reuters