Several quakes shake Indonesia

Jakarta: A series of earthquakes hit the Indonesian island of Papua on Sunday, killing four people and injuring several others, officials said.

A 7.6 magnitude quake struck 150km northeast of Manokwari in the Indonesian part of New Guinea early on Sunday morning, the US Geological Survey said.

An Indonesian meteorology agency official said several quakes shook the area during the night.

The quake triggered a small tsunami that hit the Japanese coast but there was no damage, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.

Priyadi Kardono, spokesman for the disaster management centre, said that the health ministry had confirmed four deaths from the quakes.

Metro TV reported that six people had been hospitalised. Kardono said that buildings had been damaged and power supplies cut in the area.

Rescue workers are searching for survivors under the rubble of several trapped buildings.