6.3-magnitude quake jolts Bali, no tsunami alert issued

Jakarta, Feb 6 (IANS) A 6.3-magnitude earthquake jolted the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Thursday, but authorities did not issue a tsunami alert. The quake struck at 1.12 a.m. on Thursday, with the epicentre at 69 km northeast Bangkalan of East Java province and the depth at 636 km under sea bed, an official said. "The centre of the quake is very deep. It did not potentially trigger tsunami, so we did not issue a warning for that," he told Xinhua news agency. The intensity of the quake was felt 2 to 3 MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) in the tourist hub of Kute in Bali island, Trenggalek, Bangkalan of East Java province, Yogyakarta province and Pangandaran of West Java province, Jerisman said. Bali Island is the centre of Indonesia's tourism industry, over 700,000 foreign holiday makers visit the island every month, according to the national statistics bureau. Indonesia is frequently stricken by earthquake as it lies on a vulnerable quake hit zone so called "the Pacific Ring of Fire".
--IANS ksk/