A 6.6-MAGNITUDE earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Java early today, said the US Geological Survey.

The strong quake hit at a depth of more than 500km, said the agency, adding that there is “a low likelihood of casualties and damage”.

The quake struck 100km off the city of Batang around sunrise.

The Southeast Asian archipelago experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide.

In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami in Sulawesi left more than 4,300 people dead or missing.

A devastating 9.1-magnitude quake struck off the coast of Sumatra in 2004, triggering a tsunami that killed 220,000 throughout the region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia. – AFP, July 7, 2020.