JAKARTA: A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of central Indonesia on Monday, the US Geological Survey said, sending panicked people rushing into the streets but there was no tsunami alert.
The quake struck at more than 160 kilometers south-southeast of Gorontalo in central Indonesia’s Sulawesi island at a depth of 18 kilometers. The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics agency (BMKG) measured it at 6.0 at a depth of 10 kilometers.
“The epicenter was in the sea but it doesn’t have the potential to trigger a tsunami,” BMKG official Agung Utomo said. “We haven’t received any report of damage so far.”
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said the ground shook for several seconds.
“The quake was quite strong and all the guests here—about 30 people—panicked and ran out into the street,” said Rudi Gowarno, manager of Ramayana hotel in the town of Luwuk.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
Published : Thursday January 17, 2013 | Category : World | Hits:146
By : AFP
TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday left for Southeast Asia on his first overseas trip since winning power, seeking to shore up relationships as a counterweight to an increasingly confident China. Read more
Published : Thursday January 17, 2013 | Category : World | Hits:86
By : AFP
BEIJING: China has cleaned up its air before, but experts say that if it wants to avoid the kind of smog that choked the country this week it must overhaul an economy fuelled by heavily polluting coal and car use. Read more
Published : Thursday January 17, 2013 | Category : World | Hits:80
By : AFP
WASHINGTON, D.C.: US defense secretary-designate Chuck Hagel cleared a key bar to his Senate confirmation on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila), winning the backing of a powerful Democrat who had been concerned about his stances on Iran and Israel. Read more
Published : Thursday January 17, 2013 | Category : World | Hits:86
By : AFP
Syrians gather at the scene of an explosion outside Aleppo University, between the university dormitories and the architecture faculty. AFP PHOTO DAMASCUS: Twin blasts ripped through university buildings in Syria’s second city Al... Read more
Published : Thursday January 17, 2013 | Category : World | Hits:81
By : AFP
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Democracy around the world was in decline in 2012 for the seventh year in a row as the Arab Spring led nervous autocratic leaders to clamp down on any stirrings of dissent, a US study said on Wednesday. Read more
