MANAMA, January 18 (Sputnik) – A 5.6-magnitude earthquake has occurred around the Kei Islands, the US Geological Survey reports.
The quake struck 101 kilometers (63 miles) west of Tual, a city in Maluku province, late on Saturday, at 23:40 GMT. The epicenter of the earthquake was located at a depth of 63 kilometers (almost 40 miles).
Indonesia, which comprises thousands of islands, is vulnerable to earthquakes due to its geographical location.
In 2004, a 9.2-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia off the coast of Sumatra Island, triggering powerful tsunami waves that killed at least 220,000 people.
According to the Richter scale, earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.0-5.9 are considered to be moderate and can lead to casualties and cause damage to buildings and infrastructure.
