Digital Desk: The US Geological Survey reported a 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of western Indonesia late Friday, but there were no immediate reports of damage.
The offshore quake struck just after 8:30 p.m. (1330 GMT) at a shallow depth about 212 kilometres (132 miles) southwest of Bengkulu, according to the USGS.
According to the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS), the quake could cause a tsunami in the Indian Ocean region "based on historical data and tsunami modelling."
"IOTWMS-TSP INDIA will monitor the situation to determine if a tsunami was generated and will issue further bulletins as information becomes available," the organization warned in an email.
The IOTWMS in Indonesia, on the other hand, stated on their website that there was "no tsunami threat."
The epicenter was located near Enggano, a small outlying island.
Residents in Bengkulu reached by AFP said they did not feel the quake or felt it only weakly.
"Strangely, I didn't feel anything. "I was still talking to my neighbour outside, and we had no idea there had been an earthquake," Hendri Tasparillo, 34, told AFP.
Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of intense seismic activity where tectonic plates collide that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake that shook Sulawesi island in January last year killed over 100 people and displaced thousands.
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