Key Points
- A magnitude 7.6 earthquake has struck off the Tanimbar islands in Indonesia.
- The powerful tremor was felt as far away as Darwin.
- Early reports showed light to medium damage to buildings in Indonesia.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake has struck off the Tanimbar islands in Indonesia, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre says, with the tremor felt as far away as Darwin.
The powerful tremor struck before 3am local time on Tuesday at a depth of 130 kilometres, Indonesia's geophysics agency BMKG said.
Disaster agency BNPB was checking for the extent of the quake's impact, but early reports showed light to medium damage to buildings, its spokesperson said.
News website Liputan6.com reported houses in Saumlaki town in Yamdena island were badly damaged.
The country issued a tsunami warning for almost three hours after the quake, but no significant changes in sea level were recorded.
The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre assessed there was no tsunami threat to the Australian mainland, islands or territories.
The quake jolted residents awake in Darwin about 3.15am, the ABC reported.
Darwin resident Trevor Power told the Nine Network the quake was the worst he had felt in 40 years in the city and over two minutes it shook more and more, accompanied by a roaring sound.
"The house started shaking then she really started shaking to the point you could hear the windows start to rattle and creak," he said.
Mr Power said his family rushed outside where the car was shaking in the driveway and the dogs were "going absolutely crazy".
The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre recorded the magnitude as 7.6 after initially reporting it as 7.7.
The US Geological Survey also pegged it as 7.6 and Indonesia's BMKG recorded it as a 7.5.
