M7.3 earthquake hits off Indonesia, tsunami warning issued

Indonesia has issued a tsunami warning for coastlines near the Flores Sea in Indonesia. Tsunami waves are possible for coasts within 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of the quake's epicenter, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Sputnik reported.

Around 11:20 a.m. local time, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake was registered some 91 kilometers (57 miles) north of Maumere, Indonesia, the second-largest town on Flores Island. No related injuries have been reported.

The quake was downgraded from a 7.6 magnitude event.

A witness in Bima, Indonesia, some 398 kilometers (247 miles) from the epicenter, told the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre that they felt vibrations while laying on the floor some 11 mins after the quake.

"Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters, hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 1000 km of the earthquake epicenter," read a member-state bulletin issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Indonesia is prone to frequent and large earthquakes, as it lies at the intersection of the Ring of Fire and the Alpide belt, a subduction-related volcanic and earthquake zone.

The last major earthquake was in January, a magnitude 6.2 that killed at least 105 people and injured nearly 6,500 in West Sulawesi province.

There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

ZZ/PR