Sharjah 24 – Reuters: Hundreds of people near Indonesia's Moluccas islands rushed to higher ground on Wednesday after an earthquake of magnitude 6.1, fearing aftershocks and a possible tsunami.
The quake struck at a depth of 19 km (11 miles). There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) urged people in a text message to move away from beaches and seek higher ground, noting that the warning applied especially to Seram Island.
BMKG had initially said a tsunami triggered by the movement of tectonic plates was unlikely - but then said one could still be triggered by underwater landslides, of which there would be no warning.
BMKG said in a separate statement that sea levels had risen at one point by as much as 50 cm (20 inches).
It said 13 aftershocks had been recorded so far.
A local civil emergency official said there were no reports of injured people or casualties so far, but some buildings and public facilities had sustained damage.
Hundreds of residents ran up hills fearing a tsunami, but then returned home, according to an official with the Central Maluku regency disaster agency.
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