Earthquake rocks Indonesian capital

updated 7:51 a.m. ET July 19, 2006

JAKARTA, Indonesia - A strong earthquake caused tall buildings to sway in the Indonesian capital Wednesday, sending panicked residents fleeing to the streets just days after a deadly tsunami struck Java island.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties following Wednesday’s temblor.

The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 and was centered 24 miles beneath the Sunda straits, said Budi Waluyo, an official at Indonesia’s meteorological office.

It struck 120 miles southwest of Jakarta, he said.

A tsunami triggered by a magnitude 7.7-earthquake slammed into Java’s southern coast Monday, killing more than 530 people. A series of strong aftershocks have rattled the region since then.

Suharjono, head of the earthquake division at Jakarta’s meteorological agency, told Metro TV that based on the initial estimate of Wednesday’s quake strength, it was not strong enough to trigger a tsunami.

But he urged people to be on guard.

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