1st LD: Strong quake hits Bali, triggering panic

A powerful quake jolted Indonesia's resort island of Bali and East Java province just before midnight Wednesday, but did not pose tsunami threats nor leave casualty, although it triggered panic, officials said here on Thursday.

The quake was measured at 6.2 magnitude in scale with epicenter at 127 km southeast of Malang province and the depth at 69 km under seabed, an official of the meteorology and geophysics agency told Xinhua by phone.

"We did not issue a tsunami warning for this quake," the official said.

The shakes of the quake was strongly felt in some towns in Bali and East Java of western parts of the country, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of national disaster agency.

"Still there is no a report of building damaged or casualty after the quake. But it was strongly felt and triggered panic in several areas," Sutopo told Xinhua via phone.

Around 200,000 foreign holiday makers visit Bali Island every month, according to the national statistic bureau.

Indonesia sits on a vulnerable quake-hit area called "the Pacific Ring of Fire," making it prone to quake. Endit