Powerful Indonesian quake felt in Australia

A powerful 7.3 magnitude quake struck a remote part of eastern Indonesia on Monday and was felt as far away as the holiday island of Bali and northern Australia, officials said. The quake hit at a depth of 208 kilometres (129 miles) south of Ambon island in the Banda Sea at 11:53 local time, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake was too deep to trigger a destructive wave. There were no reports of casualties or any damage after the quake hit. Indonesia’s disaster agency said the tremor was felt in faraway Bali, while residents of the northern Australian city of Darwin also felt it.

The city evacuated parts of its central business district after the quake struck, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. Australia lies south of Indonesia, the world’s biggest archipelago nation, which is regularly struck by quakes. “Wow, that was quite an impact for #Darwin, hope everyone is safe,” the bureau of meteorology in Australia’s Northern Territory said on Twitter.