An earthquake measuring 5.6 on Richter scale, with an epicenter about 74 km north west of Muko-Muko, Bengkulu, jolted West Sumatra at 5.25 am on Thursday, ANTARA reported. Meteorological and Geophysics (BMG) official Nasrul told ANTARA on Thursday that residents in a number of districts, such as Padang, Bukittinggi, Padang Panjang and southern coastal areas felt strong tremors. Two moderate earthquakes also North Maluku and North Sulawesi waters as well as East Java on Wednesday evening. Measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale, the earthquake occurred in the North Maluku and North Sulawesi seas at 4.13 pm on Wednesday, Meteorology and Geophysics Office (BMG) reported on Wednesday. According to the BMG, the epicenter of the earthquake was located in a depth of 30 km at 3.65 degrees northern latitude and 127.15 degrees eastern longitude. The epicenter was about 309 km north west of Ternate sea (North Maluku and 319 km north east of Bitung (North Sulawesi). In East Java, the earth quake measured 5.0 on the Richter scale. It jolted the southern part of East Java at 6.32 pm on Wednesday. Bagus Haryo W of the Pasuruan (East Java) Meteorology and Geophysics Office (BMG) said the epicenter of the earthquake was located at 9.00 degrees southern latitude and 112.48 degrees eastern longitude. He said that the epicenter, which was located in a depth of 20 km, was some 109 km south east of Blitar district. The tremors were also felt by residents in a number of districts in East Java such as Blitar, Malang, Tulungagung, Trenggalek and Lumajang. They, however, were not strong enough to trigger a tsunami. "No immediate reports on damages," he said.
