An earthquake measuring 7.0 magnitude on the Richter Scale hit Indonesia on Friday evening. The string quake was recorded in the sea north of the Indonesian island of Java, per a report by the US Geological Survey (USGS). There have been no reports of casualties or damage so far.
The US Geological Survey said the magnitude 7.0 quake was centered 96.5 kms (59.8 miles) north of Tuban, a coastal city in East Java province, at a depth of 594 kms (369 miles). Despite the intensity of the quake, USGS ruled out the possibility of a tsunami.
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami but warned of possible aftershocks.
Videos circulating on social media showed local residents and tourists in the neighboring provinces of Central Java, Yogyakarta and Bali panicking as houses and buildings swayed for several seconds. Some places ordered evacuations, sending streams of people into the streets.
The country of more than 270 million people is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis because of its location on the arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin known as the “Ring of Fire.”
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