A powerful earthquake with magnitude of 7.0 rocked western Java Island of Indonesia early Thursday, causing panic in capital Jakarta, but there were no reports of casualties and no risk of tsunami. The quake struck at 00:04 Jakarta time (1704 GMT Wednesday) with epicenter at 75 kilometers northwest of Indramayu, West Java province, and at a depth of 286 kilometers, an official of the Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey website, the quake was measured at magnitude 7.5.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake could not generate a tsunami in the Indian Ocean as it was located too deep inside the earth.
The epicenter was about 100 kilometers east of Indonesia's capital Jakarta. It could be felt in the capital. Many people ran out of their houses or apartment buildings in the city after the quake struck.
"I am scared that the building could break down and hit us," Ana who lives in an apartment building in the capital of Jakarta told Xinhua.
"I just had a phone call with my girlfriend in the United State when the earthquake happaned," Rob Sheridan who live in the Puri Imperium Apartment said.
"The floor was wobbling. I was shocked and immediately ran to the open ground from the 29th floor, It's my first time to experience it."
Umaama from Sri Lanka who also lives in the apartment was woken up by her two-and-half-year old daughter, saying the house was wobbling.
"We just came to Indonesia for only two months, and my husband is on business in Kalimantan, I was scared," the 28 years old woman had not yet recovered from a fright.
Laid on a vulnerable quake hit-zone so called the Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval.
In the December 2004 tsunami triggered by a strong quake near Indonesia, more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries, including 160,000 people in Indonesia's westernmost province of Aceh were killed.
