6.5-magnitude quake strikes off coast of Indonesia: USGS

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit off the Indonesian island of Sumatra early Thursday, US seismologists said, but there were no initial reports of casualties or damage and no tsunami alert was issued.

Many people were woken by the quake around dawn and ran out of their homes in Padang, about 140 kilometres (90 miles) from the epicentre, an AFP journalist in the city said.

The quake took place at 5:56 am local time (2256 GMT Wednesday), and struck at a depth of 50 kilometres, according to the US Geological Survey.

Electricity cut out in some places after the quake but was restored shortly afterwards, said the journalist, and people were not ordered to evacuate their homes.

A few minutes after the quake, Padang's mayor announced over the radio that it had no potential to cause a tsunami.

Phil Cummins, senior seismologist at Geoscience Australia, said the quake was not large enough to trigger a tsunami.

"People would have felt it and there may be some minor damage, but it was offshore and deep so damage would be limited," he told AFP.

Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where tectonic plates collide.

Source: AFP.