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Earthquake Injures Dozens in Indonesia


A powerful earthquake off the eastern coast of Indonesia has injured dozens of people and sent startled residents scurrying out of their homes in the middle of the night.

The 6.6-magnitude quake struck around 1:00 a.m. local time (1600 UTC) Friday north of the city of Sorong in Indonesia's West Papua province, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

At least 39 people were injured, some seriously, by falling debris, and at least 200 houses were damaged, say local disaster officials.

The quake also caused power outages across the region, including at a hospital in Manokwari city, where patients were forced to evacuate.

Some officials say they expect the casualty count to increase. But they say the quake is not expected to cause any tsunamis.

Indonesia is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" fault line, which is prone to earthquakes and volcanoes.

A huge 2004 earthquake off Aceh province triggered a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people in countries across the Indian Ocean.

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