4.9 magnitude earthquake, aftershocks hit Indonesia's Bali island; no casualties

A moderately strong earthquake and two aftershocks hit Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on Tuesday, causing panic but no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The US Geological Survey said the magnitude 4.9 quake was centred 35 km (22 miles) north of Amlapura, a city in Bali’s Karangasem district. Its shallow depth of 9.6 km (6 miles) may have caused people to run outside.

Many residents and tourists rushed out of their homes and hotels toward higher ground, but the situation returned to normal after they received text messages saying the quake had no potential to trigger a tsunami.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 270 million people, is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis because of its location on the "Ring of Fire", an arc of volcanoes and fault lines that arcs the Pacific.