Magnitude-6.6 earthquake hits eastern Indonesia; no reports of injuries, no tsunami expected

earthquake Indonesia 21 December 2014 copyJAKARTA, Indonesia — A strong earthquake has struck off the coast of eastern Indonesia, but there are no reports of injuries or damage, and authorities say a tsunami is not likely.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-6.6 quake struck Sunday evening 88 miles west of the town of Tobelo, which is on the island of Halmahera. The quake had a depth of 41 miles.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a Pacific-wide tsunami was not expected.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massive earthquake off Sumatra island triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.