Ternate, March (ANTARA News) - A powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale jolted Labuha in South Halmahera, North Maluku province, at 9.50 a.m. local time on Sunday.

Local meteorology and geophysics agency (BMG) spokesman Fauzi said the earthquake did not have potential to trigger tsunami or material damage.

He said the epicenter of the earthquake was located at 1.58 degrees southern latitude and 128.20 degrees eastern longitude at a depth of 56 km under the sea level, or 268 km southeast of Sesepe in Obi island, 132 km southeast of Labuha, and 227 km northeast of Ambom island.

The magnitude of the temblor was strong enough to be felt by the people in Masohi and Ambon in Central Maluku district.

Fauzi said he had yet to obtain a report to Labuha about casualty or material damage but he continued to make coordination with various parties in Labuha.
According to him, North Maluku was prone to powerful earthquake but it never caused tsunami.

Meanwhile, South Halmahera deputy district head Rusi Wally said he had yet to be reported about casualty and material damage caused by the earthquake on Sunday morning.

Rusli said the people in Labuha felt strongly the magnitude of the earthquake and scrambled out of their homes for fear of another aftershock or tsunami.

Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire", an area of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

Earlier on Thursday March 11, 2010, an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale jolted Tual town in Southeast Maluku at 10.56 p.m. local time with its epicenter located at 5.86 degrees southern latitude and 130.87 degrees eastern longitude at a depth of 73 km under the sea level.

Ternate in North Maluku was also jolted by another earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale on Friday, March 3, 2010. The epicenter of the temblor was located 1.90 degrees northern latitude and 127.33 degrees eastern longitude at a depth of 54 km under the sea level but there was no report of casualty and material damange.(*)