Banda Sea Quake Felt All the Way in Darwin

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake shakes areas around the Banda Sea in Maluku on Monday morning. (Photo courtesy of BMKG)

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake originating in the Banda Sea shook parts of Maluku and Papua on Monday morning. The epicenter of the quake was detected 289 kilometers northwest of Saumlaki in Maluku at a depth of 200 kilometers, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency announced. The agency did not issue a tsunami warning. 
Rahmat Triyono, Indonesia's head of earthquake and tsunami center, said strong tremors from the quake were felt in Saumlaki, Tual and Subawa in Maluku and in Sorong, Papua. No damages or casualties have been reported.
The earthquake was also felt in Denpasar (Bali), Bima (West Nusa Tenggara), Kupang (East Nusa Tenggara) and all the way in Darwin, Australia, where a number of offices and hotels were evacuated as a precaution.
Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire." (JakartaGlobe)