MAGNITUDE-7.3 QUAKE ROCKS SAUMLAKI IN MALUKU

Jakarta, Oct 25 (ANTARA) - A tectonic earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale rocked Saumlaki, Maluku, 209 km northwest of the region and has a potential to trigger a tsunami.

"The earthquake's epicenter is 6.23 degrees southern latitude and 13.060 decrees eastern longitude, 209 km northwest of Saumlaki. The quake was at a depth of 165 km under the sea," spokesman for the Climatology, Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Hendra Rachman, said in Jakarta Saturday night.

According to Hendra Rahman the quakes' vibrations were also felt at 9:40 pm local time.

"Until now, there is no report whether a tsunami had happened," said Hendra.

Hendra added, it is a bit difficult to get a report from disaster site due to the limited communications equipment to contact a number of areas in the region.

On September 30, 2009, a powerful earthquake of a magnitude of 7.9 on Richter scale devastated Padang city and Padang Pariaman district in West Sumatra province, killing at least 1,117 people.

A total of 1,214 people were suffering from serious injuries, and 1,688 from minor ones. However, unofficial estimates put the number of victims at thousands, as many were buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

The earthquake also destroyed 101,653 houses, and caused damage to 97,995 others.

In addition, on Saturday (Oct 24) a tectonic earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale struck the waters off the Sukabumi coast in West Java at 10.09 a.m.

The quake was centered 85 km southwest of Sukabumi or 152 km southwest of Jakarta at a depth of 20 km, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said in its official website.

The quake did not have a potential to trigger a tsunami.