Strong quake hits Indonesia8217;s Java island

It was recorded at the relatively shallow depth of 20 kilometres and had the potential to trigger a tsunami, Indonesian officials said.

8220;The quake was felt in Kota Agung in Lampung province but we haven8217;t received any reports of damage there,8221; meteorology office chief Suharjono said.

Another official said the tsunami warning was lifted after offshore sensors indicated no drop in water levels which would indicate an imminent tidal wave.

The US Geological Survey USGS said the quake had a magnitude of 5.8 and a depth of 43 kilometres. Estimates of the strength of earthquakes often vary between the USGS and local monitors.

The Indonesian archipelago straddles several continental plates in an area known as the Pacific Ring of Fire where seismic and volcanic activity is recorded on an almost daily basis.

Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered Asian tsunami in December 2004 that killed 168,000 people in Aceh province alone.