6.0-magnitude quake strikes Indonesia

There are no reports of damage or casualties. Those living in Manokwari felt several seconds of shaking and there was some panic.

A strong 6.0-magnitude quake struck Indonesia's Papua province on the island of New Guinea Friday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no reports of damage.

The quake struck at 8:15 pm (1115 GMT), three kilometres (two miles) east of Manokwari at a depth of 35 kilometres, the Survey said.

A senior official with Indonesia's Geophysics and Meteorological Agency played down the seriousness of the quake.

Indonesia's measurements suggested - people felt the shaking but it doesn't mean there's any damage- said the agency's technical chief, Suharjono.

- There are no reports of damage or casualties. Those living in Manokwari felt several seconds of shaking and there was some panic, especially at the hospital - he said.

An AFP reporter in the city confirmed there were no signs of damage to buildings, although panicked residents had scrambled for high ground, fearing a tsunami, and electricity supplies were briefly cut.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where the meeting of continental plates causes frequent high volcanic and seismic activity.

A 7.6-magnitude quake that struck Sumatra island on September 30 killed more than 1,000 people.