6.5 magnitude earthquake strikes in sea off Indonesia's Java island

ISTANBUL

At least four people were injured after a powerful magnitude 6.5 earthquake jolted the island of Java, Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) said on Sunday.

The epicenter of the quake was about 150 kilometers (93.2 miles) south of Garut, West Java, at a depth of 68.3 kilometers below the surface.

Several buildings were also damaged due to the quake, local media reported.

The tremor, which the United States Geological Survey recorded at a magnitude of 6.1, was felt in the capital Jakarta and adjoining Bandung, West Java, prompting evacuations while authorities issued no tsunami alert.

Indonesia experiences frequent earthquakes as it is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a tectonic belt of volcanoes and earthquakes.

A magnitude 6.2 quake jolted Sulawesi island in January 2021, killing over 100 people and leaving thousands homeless.

Some 2,200 people were killed after a separate magnitude 7.5 quake and subsequent tsunami in 2018.