Strong quake rocks north Indonesia's Maluku

An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale rocked South Halmahera, North Maluku province, on Wednesday night but there was no immediate report of casualties or material damage, Indonesia''s News Agency (Antara) reported Thursday. The epicenter of the quake which struck was in the sea 144 km southwest of South Halmahera at a depth of 69 km, the head of the data and information center at the National Natural Disaster Mitigation Board (BNPB) Sutopo Nugroho said on Wednesday night. The quake did not disturb local residents` activities, he said. North Maluku province lies at the meeting point of the country`s two main chains of volcanoes. (QNA) RMA/MD