6.1 magnitude earthquake jolts central Indonesia

By Ainur Rohmah

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) - A strong earthquake in central Indonesia on Tuesday left at least eight students injured and damaged hundreds of buildings, emergency officials said.

The 6.1-magnitude quake struck at 1.34 p.m. local time (0634GMT), according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.

The epicenter was 81 kilometers (50.33 miles) southwest Lebak, Banten province.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the agency, told Anadolu Agency strong jolts were felt for 10 seconds in Banten causing people to panic.

More than 150 houses and buildings have been damaged, although no fatalities have been reported so far, he added.

At least 20 aftershocks occurred after the earthquake.

Tremors were felt by residents in the densely-populated island of Central and West Java, including capital Jakarta.

Indonesia lies within the Pacific Ocean'ss 'Ring of Fire', where tectonic plates collide and cause frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

Last December, a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Java Island, leaving three people dead and 36 injured.