6.1-magnitude quake hits eastern Indonesia, no casualties reported: USGS

JAKARTA (AFP) - A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, but no tsunami warning was issued and no immediate damage or casualties were reported.

The undersea quake was recorded at a depth of 67km near Indonesia's Babar islands, according to USGS.

The quake was felt in Saumlaki, the closest city to the epicentre, a local geophysics station officer said.

"We felt the quake for about 25 seconds, and it felt like a truck went past in front of the house," an officer at the geophysics station, Alva Rottie, told AFP.

The tremour prompted some residents to run outside, but the National Disaster Management Agency said the quake had no tsunami potential.

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

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