Magnitude 5,0 Quake Shakes Seram Island

Ambon, Maluku (Antara) - A magnitude 5.0 earthquake shook Seram island in Maluku Tengah district, Maluku province, on Wednesday night, according to the local office of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). The epicenter of the quake which struck at 07.24 p.m. local time was in the sea about 74 km northeast of Maluku Tengah or 198 km northeast of Ambon island at a depth of 10 km, the office said. Secretary of the Maluku Provincial Disaster Mitigation Board (BPBD) Kifly Wakanno confirmed the quake did not cause a tsunami. Maluku is one of quake-and tsunami-prone provinces in Indonesia because it is located in the meeting point of Pacific, Indo Australia, and Eurasia plates. (*)