Agencies Posted online: Monday, September 10, 2007 at 0913 hours IST
Jakarta, September 10: A 4.9-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia's densely-populated East Java on Monday, sparking panic and causing damage to scores of houses, but no serious casualties, officials and police said.
The quake hit at 1:36 am local time and was centered about 100 kilometres underground, 43 kilometres southeast of the town of Situbondo, the meteorology office said.
A 4.5-magnitude aftershock hit five hours later, 10 kilometres beneath the earth and just 28 kilometres southeast of the town.
"The first quake was felt much more strongly and people ran out of their homes and buildings in panic," said policeman Yayok, from Asembagus, an area in Situbondo district which appeared to be the hardest hit.
