JAKARTA, Indonesia — A strong earthquake shook central Indonesia Tuesday, causing tall buildings in the capital to sway and briefly prompting a tsunami alert, authorities and witnesses said.
The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6, struck at a depth of roughly 12 miles in the Sunda Strait, about 155 miles northeast of the capital Jakarta, said Fauzi, a government geologist who goes by one name.
The Indonesian Meteorological and Geophysics Agency issued a tsunami alert, but there were no immediate signs of large waves. It was soon canceled.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at a preliminary 5.6, with a greater depth 40 miles.
Indonesia, a vast island archipelago, straddles continental plates and is prone to seismic activist along what is known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
A giant quake off Aceh spawned the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed more than 130,00 people in Indonesia alone.
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