A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia on Sunday but did not trigger a tsunami, the National Weather Service said.
The quake, with a depth of 28 miles (45 kilometers), struck about 140 miles (226 kilometers) southeast from Banda Aceh, according to the United States Geological Survey said.
It triggered a tsunami watch that was canceled about 45 minutes later when sea level readings indicated that a significant tsunami was not generated, the weather service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
No immediate information on damage was available.
In April, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in the same area triggered two tsunamis and wounded several people.
Indonesia is on the so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude underwater earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people in 14 countries.
The tsunami, which washed away entire communities, caused nearly $10 billion in damage and more casualties than any other tsunami in history, according to the United Nations. Indonesia was among the hardest hit nations.
Sources : chiefsworld
-- Edited by AJAYJALAN on Monday 10th of May 2010 06:16:54 AM
