Last Updated: Friday, 12 November, 2004, 04:56 GMT
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Earthquake hits Indonesian island

An earthquake of magnitude six has shaken an island in eastern Indonesia, killing at least six people, according to officials.

The quake struck around Alor island, about 1,600km (1,000 miles) east of the capital Jakarta, at 0526 local time (2226 GMT Thursday).

Several people are said to have been injured in the quake, but the extent of the damage is unclear.

Indonesia is one of the world's most earthquake-prone regions.

Scores of homes, shops and offices were damaged on the island's main town of Kalabahi, witnesses were reported as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

Six residents were killed and 40 injured, a local government official told radio El-Shinta.

"We are still feeling many small tremors here," Fransiscus Salem said.

"We are afraid of big aftershocks which can cause more deaths."

The earthquake was also felt in East Timor, where the extent of the damage was also unclear.

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