Wednesday November 29, 12:50 PM     Reuters

*Strong quake hits near Indonesia's Moluccas islands*

JAKARTA (Reuters) - A strong undersea earthquake struck near the
Moluccas islands in northern Indonesia on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological
Survey said on its Web site, but there were no reports of a tsunami or
casualties.

The U.S. agency put the strength of the quake, which struck at 10.32
a.m. (1:32 a.m. British time), at a magnitude of 6.1.

Indonesia's state meteorological agency in Manado on nearby Sulawesi
island originally measured it at a 6.6 magnitude and because of that
issued a tsunami warning to local broadcasters.

"With that magnitude, it has a tsunami potential but a tsunami has not
happened. If it did happen, it would have occurred by now. But we had to
circulate a tsunami warning here," agency official Mudjie told Reuters
by phone from Manado, which was 360 km (220 miles) from the epicentre in
the Moluccas sea.

"We are waiting for signs to cancel (the warning)," he said.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Warning Tsunami Warning Centre did not issue a
tsunami warning.

Manado, the closest large city from the epicentre, is some 2,200 km
(1,370 miles) northeast of the capital Jakarta.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the
earthquake.