Strong undersea quake shakes western Indonesia; no tsunami warning

A strong and shallow underwater earthquake shook western Indonesia on Monday but no serious damage was immediately reported and no tsunami warning was issued.

The US Geological Survey said the magnitude-6.6 quake was centred at a depth of 16 kilometres about 169 kilometres west of Pariaman, a town in West Sumatra province.

The Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said the quake was felt in many parts of the province but there was no danger of a tsunami. It was occurred just before dawn and was centred about 161 kilometres southeast of South Nias, a district in North Sumatra province.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 271 million people, is frequently struck by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

A 6.2 earthquake shook West Sumatra province last month, killing at least 16 people and injuring more than 400. Thousands of homes and other buildings were damaged by the tremors that were felt as far away as Malaysia and Singapore.