By DPA
Jakarta : A strong earthquake struck off the eastern Indonesian island of Sumbawa early Monday, killing at least one person and injuring 19 others, prompting a tsunami warning that was later lifted, seismologists and local media reports said.
The quake, measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale, struck 50 km southwest of the Raba district town on Sumbawa island in West Nusa Tenggara at 12.02 a.m., Indonesia’s Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) reported.
Local Metro TV reported that one person had died from the quake while 19 others were injured. Dozens of homes and buildings were badly damaged.
The quake was followed by an aftershock of 5.0-magnitude hours later, the TV channel said, adding it had led to more panic among residents who had fled outdoors after the initial quake.
An official at BMG in Jakarta said a tsunami warning was issued but lifted later as there was no tidal wave.
The quake was also felt on the nearby islands of Lombok and Bali.
Another 6.0-magnitude quake hit off the western coast of West Sumatra early Monday, but there were no reports of casualties or damage.
The Indonesian archipelago sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates meet and cause frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered Asian tsunami in December 2004, which left more than 170,000 people dead or missing in Aceh province alone.