5.9 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Indonesia's Sumatra

The offshore quake hit at a shallow depth of six kilometres (3.7 miles), about 255 kilometres south of the town of Sinabang.

A 5.9 magnitude quake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island Monday, the United States Geological Survey said, but there was no tsunami warning or immediate reports of damage.

The offshore quake hit at a shallow depth of six kilometres (3.7 miles), about 255 kilometres south of the town of Sinabang.

Shallow quakes tend to do more damage than the deep tremors.

Indonesia experiences frequent quakes due to its position 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.