Strong earthquake strikes eastern Indonesia

A strong undersea earthquake struck eastern Indonesia today, the US Geological Survey and local officials said. No tsunami warning was issued, and there were no immediate reports of damage.

The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 and hit 230 kilometers (145 miles) southeast of Ambon, the capital of Maluku province, said Suhardjono, an official at Indonesia's Meteorological and Geophysics Agency.

The USGS said the quake struck 10 kilometers (6 miles) beneath the Banda Sea, but local officials put the depth at around 60 kilometers (40 miles).

"We have not received any reports of damage," Suhardjono said, adding the agency did not issue a tsunami warning because the quake was not strong enough to trigger waves.