JAKARTA : A strong earthquake shook Papua province in the east of the Indonesian archipelago on Thursday, an official from Jakarta's seismology bureau told AFP.

The quake, measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale, struck at 6:27 pm local time (0927 GMT) and its epicentre was located underground some 170 kilometres southwest of the village of Jayapura, the official said.

Initial indications were that no one was injured and that there was no damage.

Indonesia sits on the so-called Pacific Rim of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.

A 9.3-magnitude quake off Sumatra island triggered the December 26 tsunami disaster that left at least 217,000 people dead around the Indian Ocean. - AFP /dt