The epicenter of the quake which struck at 06.26 p.m. was located 7.28 degrees southern latitude and 125.42 degrees eastern longitude or 123 km southwest of the Maluku Barat Daya district capital Kisar at a depth of 491 km below the sea surface, Head of the Ambon Geophysics Station Benny Sipolo said on Tuesday night.
The quake was not strongly felt by local people, he said.
"But we will continue to monitor intensively the affected area to anticipate the possibility of aftershocks," he said.
A number of Kisar residents told ANTARA by phone from Ambon they did not feel the quake and carried out their activities as usual.
"I did not feel the quake apparently because the epicenter of the quake was far from the district capital," local resident Ronny said.
Maluku is one of quake-and tsunami-prone areas in Indonesia because it lies at the meeting point of three major tectonic plates. Pacific, Indo Australia, and Eurasia plates.
Among quake-prone areas in Maluku are Ambon, Seram and Buru islands. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
