Powerful earthquakes strike in Indonesia and Australia

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Sunday, July 14, 2019
Powerful earthquakes strike in Indonesia and Australia
Powerful earthquakes strike in Indonesia and Australia.

A strong, shallow earthquake has struck eastern Indonesia's Maluku province, causing panic in several cities and villages. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 7.3 quake on Sunday was centered 166 kilometers (103 miles) southeast of Ternate, the provincial capital, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles).

Indonesia's national disaster agency says the land-based earthquake didn't have any potential to cause a tsunami.

Still, many people ran to higher ground, and TV footage showed panicked people screaming while running out of a shopping mall.

Last week, a magnitude 6.9 subsea earthquake caused panic in parts of eastern Indonesia and triggered a tsunami warning.

Meanwhile, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake in the Indian Ocean has been felt across large parts of Western Australia.

The quake struck about over 100 miles off the coast at 1:39 p.m. on Sunday.

Sunday's earthquake is one of the most powerful ever to hit western Australia, although its impact is nowhere as severe as the magnitude-6.5 quake which hit over 50 years ago. There are no reports of injuries at this point and only minor damage.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.