A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of East Timor and Indonesia on Monday and was felt as far away as Australia.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the magnitude 7.3 quake was centered 208 kilometers (129 miles) below the earth’s surface in the Banda Sea at 11:53 a.m. local time (2:53 UTC). The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it was too deep to cause a tsunami.
The USGS also logged one large aftershock of magnitude 5.2, as well as a mid-sized quake nearby a few hours prior to the larger tremor. There were no injuries or damage reported as Indonesia’s disaster agency urged people to “stay calm.”
The Banda Sea earthquake was recorded minutes after a magnitude 6.1 quake in a thinly populated area 233 kilometers west of the Indonesian province of Papua, at a depth of 20 kilometers.
Strong shacking caused alarm in East Timor’s capital of Dili, according to Reuters news agency.
The Australian city of Darwin on the country’s northern coast was also affected by the quake; several high-rise buildings in the city were evacuated.