JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) – Indonesia on Tuesday canceled a tsunami warning following a 7.3 magnitude underwater earthquake that struck the coast of Flores Island. The tremor sparked panic in an area prone to deadly earthquakes, but left no damage or casualties.
According to the United States Geological Survey, Tuesday’s earthquake occurred at a depth of 18.5 kilometers (11.5 miles) below the sea and its epicenter was located 112 kilometers (74 miles) north of the town of Maumere. , the second largest city on the island located in the East Nusatenggara province.
Following their initial warnings, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii, and later the Indonesian meteorological agency, lifted tsunami warnings.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said residents of the area sensed a strong earthquake. Television footage showed people rushing out of buildings that were shaken by the impact.
Flores Timur District Chief Anton Hayon said no damage had been reported.
“We ask people in the coastal areas to stay away from the shoreline, especially on the north side … as there was a big tsunami there in 1972,” Hayon said.
The population has participated in a tsunami drill and knows what to do, he added.
Indonesia, a huge archipelago with 270 million people, is prone to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis due to its location on the “Ring of Fire”, a series of volcanoes and seismic faults in the Pacific.
Indonesia’s last major earthquake struck in January, a 6.2 magnitude quake that killed at least 105 people and injured more than 6,500 in the West Sulawesi province.