国际英语新闻：Strong earthquake strikes Indonesia

JAKARTA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A strong earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale struck Melongane in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province early Thursday, but there was no immediate report of casualties or material damage, according to the country's Meteorology Agency.

    The quake struck at 00:34 a.m. Jakarta time (1734 GMT, Wednesday) with its epicenter near Talaud Sea, about 320 kilometers north-northeast of Manado. It truck at a depth of 10 kilometers.

    The local Meteorology Agency has sent tsunami warning after the quake, a leading website Detik quoted an official of the agency Tifar Triwandono as saying.

    The local Meteorology Agency has sent a tsunami warning immediately after the quake, a leading website Detik quoted official of the agency Tifar Triwandono as saying. But the tsunami warning was canceled later.

    Two major aftershocks, measuring 5.6 and 5.9 on the Richter scale were followed.

    Indonesia with over 230 million population sits on a vulnerable quake-hit zone so called "the Pacific Ring of Fire," where two continental plates meet that cause frequent seismic and vulcnaic movements.