A strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit Georgia early on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey reported, but officials in the ex-Soviet republic said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The US Geological Survey said the epicentre of the quake which struck at 3:41 am (2241 GMT Monday) was located 156 kilometres (97 miles) northwest of the Caucasus state's capital Tbilisi.

Georgian Interior Ministry Spokesman Shota Utiashvili told AFP that the epicentre of the quake was in the mountainous Racha region in western Georgia, which borders Russia and the breakaway region of South Ossetia.

"There have been no reports of casualties or destruction," he said, adding that the ministry had been in touch with local officials in the region.

The quake was felt as far away as Tbilisi, where it shook buildings in the centre of the capital.

Last year, a major earthquake hit the Caucasus region killing at least 13 people and injuring more than a hundred.

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Strong quake rattles Indonesia
A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit off Indonesia late Monday, seismologists said, but no tsunami alert was issued and there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The quake struck at 11:12 pm (1612 GMT) at an underwater depth of 15 kilometres (nine miles), south of the main island of Java, according to the US Geological Survey.

People in Cilacap, on the southern coast of Central Java, fled their houses in fear of a possible tsunami but soon returned, an AFP reporter said, adding there was no damage to homes or buildings.

Earthquakes are common in Indonesia because it sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates converge.

At least 100 people were likely killed by a major 7.0-magnitude quake that rocked Java last week, an official said earlier Monday, and over 88,000 people were left homeless.

Authorities have confirmed 74 people were killed in last Wednesday's quake, which also struck off the south coast of Java.

A 7.7-magnitude quake triggered a tsunami off southern Java in 2006, killing 596 people and displacing about 74,000.

A massive quake off the coast of the island of Sumatra in 2004 triggered a catastrophic tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people around Asia, including 168,000 in Indonesia.

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Hopes fade for missing after Indonesia quake
Rescuers in Indonesia continued to search Saturday as hopes faded for dozens of people missing after a major 7.0-magnitude earthquake, an official said.

The quake, which struck off the south coast of Java on Wednesday, triggered a landslide that buried dozens of people in the village Cikangkareng, 130 kilometres (80 miles) south of Jakarta.

"The quake has killed at least 65 people. The search for dozens of victims continues although their chance of survival is slim," disaster management agency spokesman Priyadi Kardono said.

"Sometimes the heavy machinery is not enough to help as rescue workers have to carefully lift the bodies," he said.

The quake, which damaged more than 31,000 houses across the densely-populated island of Java, was also felt in neighbouring Bali and Sumatra.

Kardono said that about 27,000 people had been evacuated.

Many victims have complained at the slow arrival of sufficient tents, food and medical supplies following the disaster.

Indonesia sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates converge.

A 7.7-magnitude quake triggered a tsunami off southern Java in 2006, killing 596 people and displacing about 74,000.

A massive quake off the coast of the island of Sumatra in 2004 triggered a catastrophic tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people around Asia, including 168,000 in Indonesia.