JAKARTA - An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale jolted the eastern Indonesian island of Alor, causing panic but no reported damage or casualties, meteorologists said Monday.
Residents fled their homes for several hours after the quake, fearing a repeat of the death toll from a quake on the island last year or a tsunami similar to the recent Indian Ocean disaster, police in the town of Kalabahi told AFP.
"People here are still traumatized by the November earthquake. Until now, we have not received any reports of deaths or damages although there were two aftershocks after the big one," police chief Marsudi said.
The tremor took place slightly after midnight and was centered in the Flores Sea some 49 kilometers (30 miles) east of Kalabahi.
At least 27 people died across Kalabahi after an earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale hit the island near East Timor last November.
Earthquakes are common across the Indonesian archipelago which sits atop the collision point of three continental plates.
The country is still recovering from the December 26 magnitude-9.0 earthquake that triggered deadly tsunamis. More than 126,000 people are believed dead and 93,000 missing from the disaster in Indonesia alone.
03/21/2005 07:39 GMT