Strong undersea earthquake strikes off eastern Indonesia

A powerful undersea earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia late Friday, a meteorological agency said. There were no immediate reports of injuries, damage or a possible tsunami. The magnitude 6.1 quake struck at 11:44 p.m. local time ( 14:44 GMT ) and was centered 66 kilometers (38 miles) beneath the Molucca Sea , the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site.

Photo: Strong undersea earthquake strikes off eastern Indonesia

It struck 190 kilometers (120 miles) south of Manado , the provincial capital of North Indonesia , the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin .

A magnitude 9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami on Dec. 26 killed more than 131,000 people in Indonesia 's western Aceh province and left a half-million homeless. The U.S. Geological Survey's Web site did not immediately mention any possibility of a tsunami resulting from Friday night's earthquake, reports the AP.

N.U.