Indonesia's Banda Sea hit by two powerful quakes; no tsunami warning

Indonesia's Banda Sea hit by two powerful quakes; no tsunami warning

(Reuters) - Indonesia's Banda Sea region was hit by two powerful earthquakes on Wednesday, though neither with tsunami potential, according to the country's geophysics agency

The first quake was of 6.9 magnitude and hit the area close to midday local time on Wednesday while the second registered 6.8 and struck late in the evening.

The epicentre of both quakes was at sea, located 255 km (158 miles) from the Tanimbar Islands in Indonesia's Maluku province. The islands are about 420 km off Australia's Northern Territory.

The depth of the first quake was 45 km while the second 10 km, the agency added.

There was no immediate report of damage.

Indonesia straddles the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire," an area of high seismic activity that rests atop multiple tectonic plates.