A 6.2-magnitude tectonic quake jolted Saumlaki, the capital of Maluku Tenggara Barat district. The epicenter of the quake was 6.26 degrees south latitude and 130,41 degrees east longitude at a depth of 112 kilometers in the sea. The head of the data and information division of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency in Ambon, Irwan Slamet, confirmed the incident. He said the quake's epicenter was 205 kilometers northwest of Saumlaki or 97.4 kilometers northeast of Rumadai island, 393 kilometers southeast of Ambon island, 435 kilometers southwest of Fak-Fak, West Papua or 2,620 kilometers southeast of Jakarta. The tremor was quite strong, felt in Saumlaki at 2.3 Modified Mercally Intensity. However it did not cause panic among the people, ANTARA quoted Slamet as saying. He said he had received no report on damages caused by the quake while the station kept monitoring the situation for possible after shocks. He said the quake did not have the potential to cause a tsunami and so people need not panic. Several tectonic quakes have been recorded in Saumlaki in the past few days with the last measured at 5.3 on the Richter scale on Thursday.
