Magnitude quake hits Indonesia

The quake, struck at 00:53 a.m. Saturday (1553 GMT Friday), was centered about 28 kilometers (17 miles) north of Sorong, a town of Indonesia’s West Papua province, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site.

“We are still collecting information and we expect the number of people injured and buildings damaged to increase”, he added.

The quake, measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale jolted West Papua, also forced panic evacuation of some locals and tents are needed to shelter those whose houses were damaged, Sutopo said.

No deaths have so far been reported.

According to the USGS, Indonesians near the epicenter of the quake felt it to be very strong.

Yona Niki, a receptionist at Waisai Beach Hotel on Waigeo island, said staff and four guests staying at the hotel ran outside when the quake hit and waited until the intense shaking had stopped.

No tsunami warning has been issued, and at least for now, there are no reports of any injuries.

Indonesia sits along what geologists and experts call the Ring of Fire, which is a major fault line along the Earth’s tectonic plates.

In 2004, a monster temblor off Aceh shores triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.