A deep, magnitude 7.3 earthquake has struck off Indonesia, according to the USGS, prompting parts of Darwin to be evacuated in Australia.
Photo: USGS / Screenshot
The quake struck at 2.53pm NZ time, near Indonesia's Tanimbar Islands in the Banda sea at a depth of 208km, the US Geological Survey reported.
Strong shaking caused alarm in the East Timor capital of Dili, and one witness told Reuters people ran out of their houses, but there were no immediate reports of deaths or damage.
The quake was also felt on Indonesia's holiday island of Bali, several people said on social media, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injury in Indonesia, said Rita Rosita, an official of the national disaster mitigation agency.
Australia's public broadcaster ABC reported parts of Darwin's central business district were being evacuated because of the quake.
Residents in Darwin's Top End reported feeling tables shaking due to tremors in the area, ABC said.
The earthquake was preceded by two smaller ones near Dobo in Papua: one measuring 5.1 about five minutes earlier and another measuring 5.3 about five minutes before that.
A 5.2 magnitude aftershock hit about 3.28pm NZ time in the same place as the largest, 7.3 magnitude shake.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami was not expected after the main quake.
Previous USGS estimates put the larger earthquake at magnitude 7.5.
- RNZ / Reuters