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5.5-magnitude earthquake jolts eastern Indonesia

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-20 22:21

JAKARTA -- A 5.5-magnitude earthquake jolted eastern Indonesia's Maluku province Monday evening, according to the website of Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG).

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The quake occurred at 21:21 local time (1221 GMT) with epicenter located at 4.04 degrees southern latitude and 129.82 degrees eastern longitude, 189 km southeast of Ambon of Maluku province, and a depth of 20 km in the sea.

There is no immediate report of damage or casualty.

Indonesia, with a population of over 230 million, sits on a vulnerable quake-hit zone called "the Pacific Ring of Fire," where two continental plates meet, causing frequent seismic and volcanic movements.