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Strong Earthquake Rocks Indonesia, 2 Deaths Confirmed

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An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 rocked the Indonesian capital of Jakarta and other cities on the country's island of Java late Friday, with authorities reporting at least two death.

Disaster relief officials say buildings collapsed in several western Java districts and a hospital was evacuated after suffering damage. The quake made buildings sway in Jakarta.

Authorities say a 62-year-old man in the Ciamis region and an 80-year-old woman in Pekalongan city died in building collapses. It was not immediately clear how many people have been injured.

Motorists are stuck in traffic as they try to reach higher ground amid fears of a tsunami, following an earthquake in Cilacap, Central Java, Indonesia, Dec. 16, 2017.
Motorists are stuck in traffic as they try to reach higher ground amid fears of a tsunami, following an earthquake in Cilacap, Central Java, Indonesia, Dec. 16, 2017.

Officials are still trying to assess damage from the quake, which struck just before midnight local time.

The United States Geological Survey said the quake's epicenter was located about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the city of Tasikmalaya.

Authorities issued a tsunami warning for sections of coastline surrounding Java, which is home to more than 250 million people — more than half of Indonesia's population. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said no tsunami had been detected.

Indonesia sits on the “Ring of Fire,” a seismically active line of faults in the Pacific Ocean where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

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