A 6-magnitude earthquake has struck off the Indonesian island of Java, killing 3 people and damaging many buildings while causing panic among residents.

The ruinous scene in Palu, Central Sulawesi of Indonesia after the disasters (Source: Xinhua/VNA

According to spokesman of the country’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the quake happened off Java island on early 11 October, with its epicenter in the Bali Sea area, 40km east of Java.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake shook buildings on the Bali resort island, where the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank are taking place. However, the local authorities affirmed that the quake didn’t cause any disruption to the meetings.

Previously, Central Suwelasi of Indonesia was ravaged by two 6.1- and 7.5-magnitude quakes on  28 September. A tsunami happened after the second quake hit the area in the afternoon of the same day.

The earthquakes and tsunami killed at least 2,045 people and injured 10,679 others. As many as 671 people are still missing.

A series of earthquakes in July and August killed nearly 500 people on the holiday island of Lombok, hundreds of kilometres southwest of Sulawesi.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is regularly hit by earthquakes. In 2004, a big earthquake off the northern Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered a tsunami across the Indian Ocean, killing 220,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 168,000 in Indonesia.

(Source: VNA)