Aus city jolted by quake

2005-03-03 07:19

Sydney ? An earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale has jolted Darwin in northern Australia, but there were no reports of injury or damage.

Meteorologists at Geoscience Australia said on Thursday that the quake struck on Wednesday night.

It's epicentre was in the Banda Sea, 660km north of Darwin, and 190km below the surface.

"I'm sure it's rattled a few windows and shaken picture frames but it's unlikely to have cause any damage in Darwin," Geoscience Australia seismologist Mark Leonard told Australia's AAP news agency.

"Normally, with a quake like this, you'd expect damage out to about 100-200km, that kind of distance."

Leonard said earthquakes were common in that part of eastern Indonesia.

"The Banda Sea is one of the most seismically active areas in the world and gets an earthquake of magnitude 5 every couple of months," he said.

Barry Doyle, a reporter with the NT News in Darwin, said tremors were felt as far south as Katherine.

"We had two good shakes," Doyle said. "Probably the best shakes we've had. It moved the building we're in and it's certainly got the town talking." - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA