7.1-magnitude earthquake hits southern Indian Ocean

A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck in the southern Indian Ocean on Saturday, but there was no indication of a destructive tsunami and unlikely to be any casualties or damage, the NDTV cited US seismologists as saying.

The shallow tremor struck at 22:24 GMT on Friday, around 3,100 kilometers southwest of the Australian city of Perth and 1,000 km from the uninhabited Heard Island and McDonald Islands, the US Geological Survey said.

The epicenter was at the Southeast Indian ridge, a tectonic plate boundary located along the sea floor of the southern Indian Ocean.

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Center said there was currently no threat of a tsunami to Australia.

Sources: MENA