TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale hit Alor Island in the eastern Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara on Thursday morning.
The epicenter of the earthquake which struck at 06:44 a.m. local time was in the sea about 405 kilometers northeast of Alor at a depth of 405 kilometers, said the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) office in Kupang.
The earthquake did not have the potential to cause a tsunami, the office said.
Some local residents said they did not feel the earthquake. "We did not feel the earthquake. If we felt it, we would stay outdoors," local resident Ama said.
An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter scale is considered moderate and capable of causing considerable damage.
Thursdays earthquake was the second to hit the province in the past few days. Last Saturday (January 7), an earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale jolted the provinces East Sumba.
East Nusa Tenggara is one of earthquake-prone provinces in Indonesia.
ANTARA
