JAKARTA : A strong 6.2-magnitude quake rattled Indonesia's remote Nias island off the western coast of Sumatra on Wednesday, but no tsunami warning was issued, US meteorologists said.

The epicentre of the quake was located near the coast of Nias, about 170 kilometres west-southwest of the Sumatra town of Sibolga, the US Geological Survey said.

The quake, which struck at 12:14 am (1714 GMT Tuesday), occurred at a depth of 12.8 kilometres.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre did not immediately issue an alert following the quake.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where continental plates meet, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

Nias island was hit by a devastating 8.7-magnitude earthquake in 2005 that killed some 850 people and left tens of thousands homeless.

Indonesia was hardest hit by the earthquake-triggered Asian tsunami in December 2004. Some 168,000 people alone were killed in Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra. - AFP/de