Magnitude 7.3 earthquake strikes Indonesia
A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on Tuesday according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The earthquake struck 112 kilometers north of Maumere, off Indonesia's Flores Island at a depth of 12km.
A tsunami alert was issued for possible hazardous waves, but was lifted by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii several hours later.
Alfons Hada Betan, head of East Flores Disaster Mitigation agency in Larantuka, said there were no immediate reports of damage and the quake was felt for several minutes as people fled from their homes.
"Everyone ran out into the street," Agustinus Florianus, a resident of Maumere town on Flores island, told Reuters.
People said on social media the earthquake was also felt strongly in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said that based on preliminary earthquake parameters, hazardous tsunami waves were possible for coasts located within 1000km.
It's unknown yet if there have been any deaths or injuries as a result of the earthquake.
48 killed when Mount Semeru volcano erupted
Indonesia straddles the "Pacific Ring of Fire", a highly seismically active zone, where different plates on the earth's crust meet and create a large number of earthquakes and volcanoes.
The earthquake comes just over a week after at least 48 people were killed and hundreds injured when the Mount Semeru volcano erupted on Java island on December 4.
The eruption left villages covered with ash and people fleeing from debris. Footage shared on social media shows people running from billowing clouds engulfing the area.
With AAP.
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