6.9-magnitude earthquake hits Indonesia


FE Team | Published: August 05, 2018 21:14:04 | Updated: August 07, 2018 15:09:14


6.9-magnitude earthquake hits Indonesia

A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia on Sunday, and a series of aftershocks also shook the country, said the United States Geological Survey said.

There is a "potential" for a tsunami following the earthquake, according to Indonesia's Tsunami Early Warning System.

The quake was 10.5 kilometres deep and struck near Loloan on the west end of the island of Bali.

It was felt in Bali and the nearby island of Lombok, which was hit by an earthquake a week ago that killed more than a dozen people.

The Indonesia Red Cross reported that four of its volunteers were injured and transported to a hospital, according to a report on CNN.

The USGS slightly downgraded Sunday's quake after initially calling it 7.0-magnitude. Shortly after the quake, a 4.9-magnitude aftershock struck near Tanahsong Daya and a 5.4-magnitude aftershock shook Tanjung, the USGS reported.

The Indonesian archipelago, where Lombok and Bali are located, is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of intense seismic and volcanic activity.

The 40,000-kilometre (25,000-mile) area stretches from the boundary of the Pacific Plate and the smaller plates such as the Philippine Sea plate to the Cocos and Nazca Plates that line the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

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