6.5 magnitude strong quake rocks Indonesia

A strong earthquake near an eastern Indonesian island knocked out telephone, radio communications and roads late on Friday, but there were no reported casualties, local residents and a government official said on Saturday.

The US Geological Survey said a 6.5 magnitude earthquake at a depth of 30 kms was reported about 3 kms from Andekantor, a town on Sumba island in East Nusa Tenggara province.

"Not yet," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, told Reuters on Saturday when asked whether there were any casualties.

Roads had suffered the most damage local residents said. Nugroho said his agency would continue to monitor the situation. No tsunami warning was issued.