7.2-magnitude quake jolts Indonesia, no tsunami alert issued

JAKARTA: A massive earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale jolted Indonesia's Maluku province on Wednesday, but did not trigger a tsunami, the country's meteorology agency BMKG said.

Having centered at the shallow seabed, the earthquake occurred at 11.52 a.m., Xinhua news agency quotd BMKG as saying.

The location of the epicentre was 251 km northwest of Maluku Tenggara Barat (Tanimbar Islands) district, with a depth of 10 km under the sea floor, it said.

The intensity of the quake was felt the strongest at IV to V of the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale in Saumlaki town and the Banda Sea, and weaker in other parts of the province, the BMKG added.

The meteorology agency did not issue a tsunami warning as the tremor did not have the potential to trigger giant waves.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damages.