Indonesia 7.4 quake

Indonesia was revisited by another strong quake at 7.4 magnitude.

Quake strikes off Indonesia coast
By the CNN Wire Staff
May 9, 2010 -- Updated 0729 GMT (1529 HKT)

(CNN) -- A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia on Sunday but did not trigger a tsunami, the National Weather Service said.

The quake, with a depth of 28 miles (45 kilometers), struck about 140 miles (226 kilometers) southeast from Banda Aceh, according to the United States Geological Survey said.

It triggered a tsunami watch that was canceled about 45 minutes later when sea level readings indicated that a significant tsunami was not generated, the weather service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

No immediate information on damage was available.

In April, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in the same area triggered two tsunamis and wounded several people.

Indonesia is on the so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude underwater earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people in 14 countries.

The tsunami, which washed away entire communities, caused nearly $10 billion in damage and more casualties than any other tsunami in history, according to the United Nations. Indonesia was among the hardest hit nations.