6.0-magnitude quake strikes off eastern Indonesia: USGS

JAKARTA (AFP) - A strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of eastern Indonesia on Friday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported, but local officials said there was no risk of a tsunami.

The quake struck at 4.43pm local time, 70km south-southeast of Namela in the Maluku chain of islands at a depth of 54km, the USGS said.

"The quake's epicentre was in the sea and was mildly felt in the cities of Ambon, Namlea and Namrole," Ms Tri Handayani, an official from Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, told AFP. She added that there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, and no risk of a tsunami.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

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