Earthquake of magnitude 7.0 strikes Bali Sea

JAKARTA: A strong earthquake of 7.0 magnitude struck deep in the sea north of Bali and Lombok islands in Indonesia early on Tuesday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.

The quake’s epicentre was 203 km (126 miles) north of Mataram, Indonesia, and very deep at 516 km below the Earth’s surface, EMSC said. Indonesian and US geological agencies pegged the magnitude at 7.1, with no threat of a tsunami.

The quake was felt just before 4 a.m. (2000 GMT) across coastal areas in Bali and Lombok and was followed by two quakes of magnitude 6.1 and 6.5, according to the Indonesian geological agency.

There were no immediate reports of damage, Indonesian disaster agency BNPB said. “The quake is deep so it should not be destructive,” BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari said.

In November last year, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake in Indonesia’s West Java province resulted in the tragic loss of over 300 lives and left thousands injured.